IT Infrastructure: A Backbone of the Magnet Designation

Since 1983, the Magnet Recognition Program, created by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), has been a best-practice standard in the healthcare community — recognizing hospitals that take a proactive approach to patient care through strong nursing leadership. The Magnet designation, which is awarded to healthcare organizations that meet the stringent set of criteria, spotlights the best and most innovative nursing divisions in the industry.

Earlier this year, with the announcement of an enhanced model, the Magnet Recognition Program raised the bar yet again by increasing data requirements and expectations, which could potentially elevate the role of IT as the cornerstone of patient care. At its inception, the program was based on 14 Forces of Magnetism that, once achieved, would deliver excellent patient outcomes, a high level of job satisfaction among nurses, and improved communication not only among nurses, but also across disciplines.

In an effort to provide greater clarity, direction, and eliminate redundancy, the new model simplifies the 14 Forces of Magnetism into 5 Model Components and focuses on measuring outcomes and allowing for more streamlined documentation.

“Those organizations that have embarked on the journey toward achieving Magnet designation, as well as those looking for re-designation, will turn to IT tools to assist them in this effort,” says Gail E. Latimer, RN, MSN, FACHE, vice president and chief nursing officer for Siemens Healthcare. “Siemens is on the forefront of developing IT solutions to support clinicians who deliver clinical care day to day. It’s a sound investment in the future and will promote the role of nurses in their goal to provide safe, high-quality care for all patients.”

IT Supports the Magnet Journey
By emphasizing the measurement of outcomes through data collection, the new Magnet model highlights the role clinical IT systems play in helping clinicians improve the delivery of healthcare services. As the level of detail required to achieve Magnet recognition or renewal increases, so does the difficulty of consolidating that information manually. The ANCC is taking a much closer look at data and wants to see that Magnet organizations are benchmarking themselves and utilizing that data in their ongoing quality improvement efforts.

“Organizations must show everything they are doing to improve their operations by tying the world of measurements and IT together with the principles of Magnet,” says Joanne M. Hambleton, RN, MSN, NE-BC, vice president nursing and patient services at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. “There is no way we could do it without the IT systems and tools to measure data. It would be virtually impossible.”

Fox Chase was the 19th organization to achieve Magnet status — currently there are more than 300 — and has witnessed first-hand the shift in focus. This year, they received their third re-designation and Hambleton notes that the criteria have changed with every renewal.

“The ANCC is constantly raising the bar. Magnet is not about structure as much as it is improving outcomes — and IT systems are integral to this effort,” says Hambleton.

Driving Data Collection and Reporting
Meridian Health System in Neptune, New Jersey, a three-time Magnet recipient, implemented Siemens Soarian® Clinicals about 18 months ago and has realized significant improvements in its ability to measure and consolidate data.

“We document, for example, decubitus ulcers through Soarian and have seen a dramatic increase in our ability to track incidents and establish intervention,” says Rich Hader, RN, PhD, FAAN, chief nursing officer at Meridian Health System. “This is a critical aspect of quality care, especially within the framework of Magnet. In order to measure outcomes, we need a robust clinical system that offers tracking and trending and Soarian enables us to easily run reports and provide the necessary improvement documentation.”

Hader notes that Soarian increases visibility across the care continuum and supports his organization in managing the information needed to accurately capture and monitor care delivery. With the support of technology, Meridian has produced measureable reductions in ulcer or pressure ulcer rates, for example. As Meridian turns its attention to Magnet’s new focus on empirical outcomes, it plans to use Soarian to track patient falls and other core measurements.

The Culture of Magnet
The Magnet journey has no final destination. The expectations continue to rise and in order to maintain this designation, organizations must develop a collaborative culture around nursing and IT.

This is accomplished by incorporating the expertise and input of the entire nursing staff — from the chief nursing officer to direct care nurses. But the effort goes beyond nursing and must incorporate a partnership with the organization’s IT department.

“It takes the best minds of IT and nursing practice to build a program that will be effective and meaningful to users,” says Hambleton. “I can’t imagine doing this without nurses involved from the beginning.”

Encouraging and rewarding contributions are essential to creating buy-in to the program, but the initiative must have support throughout the organization. Consistent and strong nursing and executive leadership will create a team environment and, ultimately, result in quality care that produces superior patient outcomes.

“Magnet is about building and sustaining a culture of excellence and always improving and raising the bar of performance,” continues Hader, who will lead the charge for his organization’s fourth Magnet designation next year. “It boils down to one question. Do you want the Magnet award or do you want to be Magnet?”