A LITERATURE REVIEW ON MAGNET HOSPITALS AND PROFESSIONAL NURSING 1
A Literature Review on Magnet Hospitals and Professional Nursing
Jenny Parish
Ferris State University
A Literature Review on Magnet Hospitals and Professional Nursing
The concept of a “magnet”work environment originated from a 1980’s study to explore what was a successful setting for nursing practice. Today, magnet recognition isone of the most important efforts in healthcare to recognize a positive work environment (McClure, 2005). “Magnet recognition is awarded by the American Nurses’ Credentialing Center (ANCC) to hospitals that satisfy a set of criteria designed to measure the strength and quality of their professional nursing practice” (Kaplow, 2008). According to a study by Abraham (2011), magnet hospital recognition has gained popularity within the professional community. This article states that as of 2011 approximately 8% of U.S. hospitals are magnet recognized.
The articleswithin this review discuss the concept, history and characteristics of a magnet work environment. These articleswere used to examine the impactwork environment has on nursing outcomes and the quality of patient care. Within the body of this paper there are four main sections. The first section of this review focuses on the history behind the magnet concept. The second section explores common characteristics within magnet recognized work environments. The third section discusses nursing outcomes associated within these work environments. The fourth section, titled “Nursing Assessment of Patient Care Outcomes”, discusses the nurses’ perception of quality patient care in a magnet environment. Scholarly articles used in this literature review were from online nursing journals retrieved through the Ferris State University library database and Google search engine.
History
In the early 1980’s the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) organized a task force to explain how during a time of nursing shortage were some hospitals able to recruit and retain nurses (Upenieks, 2003). Research from this original study of 41 hospitals led to the development of the American Nurses’ Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Hospital Recognition Program for Excellence in Nursing (ANCC, 2011). McClure, a researcher on the original task force, has published multiple articles in magnet research. McClure’s 2002 article, “Magnet Hospitals: Attraction Retention of Professional Nurses”, discusses the ongoing trend to attract and retain nurses in a magnet environment.
In 2008, Lundmark published “Patient safety and quality: An evidence-based handbook for nurses. In chapter46, “Magnet Environments for Professional Nursing Practice”, Lundmarkdescribes the history of the magnet concept and recognition program. This article describes a magnet hospital as an organization and practice environment supportive to nursing excellence (Lundmark, 2008). In Abraham’s2011 article, “The diffusion of magnet hospital recognition”, it suggestsmagnet recognition is now recognized as the gold standard in quality care.This article makes the assumption that more hospitals will seek magnet recognition in the future. These articles include over thirty years of researchexamining the work environmentsimpact on nursing and patient care.
Characteristics of Magnetism
Research articles in this section identifythe common characteristics within a work environment that makes it “magnet”. This research began in 1983,when McClure and others set out to observecommonalities within certain corporations that were referred to as magnet forces. McClure’s original research demonstrated that these“magnet” corporations proved a commitment to quality and lived up to it daily through patient care and support to nurses. The studies of both McClure (1983) and Laschinger (2003) suggest that empowering work environments can influence professionalism and excellence in the quality of patient care. These studies demonstrated evidence suggesting magnet hospital characteristics are correlated with a nurses increased satisfaction on the job. It is the characteristics of an organization that makes it possibleto attract and retain valuable employees. Upenieks (2003) article,“What’s the attraction to magnet hospitals”,agrees with McClure and Laschinger’s findings.
Karen Drenkard (2010),the director of the American Nurses Magnet Recognition Program, published the article “Going for gold: the value of attaining magnet recognition”. This article also identifiescharacteristics of a magnet environment. These characteristics include increased nurse autonomy, improved physician/nurse relationship, decreased nurse turnover rate, and better economic performance.This articlealso gives the reader a clearly stated overview of the benefits associated with magnet recognized hospitals. Drenkard’s article would be useful to researchers because it is written from the perspective of the director of the recognizing organization.
Nursing Outcomes
This section focuses on the impact magnet environments have on a positive nursing experience. Articles in this section support a healthy work environmentincreases nursing satisfaction on the job. In fact, magnet studies over the past thirty years demonstrate a positive relationship between a work environment and nursingjob satisfaction.
The article “Nursing Outcomes in Magnet and Non-Magnet Hospitals” waspublished in 2011 in the Journal of Nursing Administration. This articleanalyzes secondary data from a four-state survey of 26,276 nurses in 567 acute care hospitals to evaluate environment in nursing outcomes. Research from this study found a positive relationship in work environment and nursing job satisfaction. The study revealed nurses in magnet hospitals reported greater job satisfaction than those non-magnet hospitals (Kelly, 2011). In 2011, Hess also published an article in the Journal of Nursing Administration. This article “Perceptions of nurses in magnet hospitals, non-magnet hospitals, and hospitals pursuing magnet status”was developed from the study of data collected from the 2010 National Survey of Registered Nurses (NSRN). This study analyzed standardized surveys from nurses within different work environments. Research found that nurses working within hospitals with magnet identified characteristics had the most job satisfaction. This research suggestsa hospital did not necessarily have to be magnet recognized but did have to possess these values (Hess, 2011). Research from this article is useful because it validates previous research findings on the relationship of nursing satisfaction and a positive work environment.
Nursing Assessment of Patient Care Outcomes
This section contains articles that demonstrate association between magnet status and nursing assessment of quality patient care. Kramer (2005) published the article “Best quality patient care; a historical perspective on magnet hospitals. This article describes the development of the association between recognition for nursing excellence and improved patient outcomes. Research in this article proves that the quality of patient care relates to the care the nurse is able to provide. The article suggests nursing job satisfaction and ability to provide quality patient care is improved in a magnet environment. In 2008, Linda Aiken published the article “Transformative Impact of Magnet Designation: England case study”. This article discusses a hospitals journey to magnetism and the impact of preparing and achieving magnet status. The research in this article also supports the nurses’assessment ofan improved quality of patient care within a “magnet” environment (Aiken, 2008). These articles stimulate further research into expanding the magnet concept to include all aspects of patient care delivery while in the hospital, not limited to excellence in nursing care.
Conclusion
In the 15 scholarly articles I reviewed for this paper, all research studies suggests a positive trend in quality patient care and nursing satisfaction in magnet vs. non-magnet hospitals. These scholarly articles provide research based evidence. This research proves a relationship work environments possessing magnet characteristicsand increased job satisfaction in nursing. Magnet work environments also promote an improved delivery of patient care. For further insight into magnet recognition, Sherman’s (2010) article, “Growing future nurse leaders to build and sustain healthy work environments at the unit level” can be considered. This article reviews literature on what is necessary to build a successful magnet environment. This articlealso identifies the role nurse leaders have in promotion of a healthy work environment for the future.
References
Abraham, J., Jerome-D’Emilia, B., Begun, J.W., (2011). The diffusion of magnet hospital recognition. Health Care Management Review, 36(4), 306-14. Retrieved from
Aiken, L.H., Buchan J., Ball, J., Rafferty, A.M., (2008). Transformative impact of magnet designation: England case study. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 17(24), 3330-3337. doi:10.1111/j.1365.2702.2008.02640.x
American Nurses Credentialing Center. (2011). History of the magnet program. Retrieved from
American Nurses Credentialing Center. (2011). Magnet Recognition Program Model. Retrieved from
Drenkard, K., (2010). Going for the gold: The value of attaining magnet recognition. American Nurse Today, Vol.5. No. Retrieved from
Hess, R., Desroches, C., Donelan, K., Norman, L., Buerhaus, P.I., (2011). Perceptions of nurses in magnet hospitals, non-magnet hospitals, and hospitals pursuing magnet status. Journal of Nursing Administration, 41(7-8), 315-23. doi: 10.1097/NNA.0b013e31822509e2
Kaplow, R., Reed, K.D., (2008). The AACN synergy model for patient care: A nursing model as a force of magnetism. Nursing Economics. 26(1). 17-25. Abstract retrieved from
Kelly, L.A., McHugh, M.D., Aiken, L.H., (2011). Nurse outcomes in magnet and non-magnet hospitals. Journal of Nursing Administration, 41(10). 428-33. Abstract retrieved from
Kramer, M., Schmalenburg, C.E. (2005).Best quality patient care: A historical perspective on magnet hospitals.Nursing Administration Quarterly, (3), 275-87. Retrieved from
Laschinger, H.K., Almost, J., Tuer-Hodes, D., (2003). Workplace empowerment and magnet hospital characteristics: making the link. Journal of Nursing Administration. 33(7-8). 410-22. Abstract retrieved from
Lundmark, V.A., (2008). Magnet environments for professional nursing practice. Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses (Ch. 46). Retrieved from
McClure, M.L., Poulin, M.A., Sovie, M.D. (2002). Magnet hospital: Attraction and retention of professional nurses. Nursing Administration Journal. Retrieved from
McClure, M.L., (2005). Magnet hospitals: Insights and issues. Nursing Administration Journal. Vol. 29. No. 3. 198-201. Retrieved from www.
Sherman, R., Pross, E., (2010). Growing Future Nurse Leaders to Build and Sustain Healthy Work Environments at the Unit Level. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, Vol. 15, No. 1, Retrieved from
Upenieks, V.V., (2003). What’s the attraction to magnet hospitals? Nursing Management. Volume. 34. No. 2. 43-44. Retrieved from