Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital has achieved its fourth consecutive Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), hospital officials learned today. The Magnet Recognition Program® is one of the most prestigious and coveted recognitions in the country that a hospital can achieve for nursing excellence and distinguishes health care organizations that meet rigorous standards for nursing excellence. St. Mary’s Hospital was the first community hospital in the Richmond region to receive this recognition in 2008.
“We are proud of our nursing team at St. Mary’s Hospital for maintaining Magnet status for 15 years,” said Bryan Lee, president of St. Mary’s Hospital. “It’s no secret that the last few years in health care have been some of the most challenging as we’ve faced a pandemic and industry-wide staffing challenges. This designation is a true testament to our dedicated and extraordinary nurses at St. Mary’s.”
Receiving Magnet recognition for the fourth time reaffirms St. Mary’s Hospital’s nursing team as one of the most advanced and exceptional organizations in the country. This recognition comes following a document submission in August 2022. ANCC appraisers visited St. Mary’s Hospital in January 2023, for a rigorous 3-day virtual appraisal where they met with nearly 600 nurses, interdisciplinary team members, and members of the community over the course of the three days. The appraisers’ goal was to “verify, clarify and amplify” what was written in the documents.
ANCC developed the Magnet Recognition Program® as a way to differentiate hospitals and health care organizations and honor nursing excellence based on a rigorous audit process. Currently, only 601 hospitals across the nation have designated ANCC Magnet Recognition status. According to Magnet, designated hospitals are chosen based on a solid professional environment, guided by a strong visionary nursing leader who advocates and supports development and excellence in nursing practice.
“Maintaining this status is more than just checking a box for us, we implement these best practices because we know if we do, we will yield a better overall result for our patients and staff. This makes our hospital not only a better place to receive care, but a better place to work as well,” said Kim Bushnell, chief nursing officer for St. Mary’s Hospital. “We are proud of the increased retention and satisfaction we see among our nurses as a Magnet hospital, and we are proud to again be recognized as a top hospital for clinical nursing excellence in the nation.”
Once an organization achieves Magnet status, they must reapply every four years and go through a lengthy data collection and review process to maintain their designation. St. Mary’s Hospital’s application for redesignation
was outcome focused, with many examples of clinical nurse and nurse leader involvement in leading changes that resulted in improved outcomes for patients and the nurse practice environment, and it was found without any deficiencies. The application also required the organization to demonstrate better than the mean nurse sensitive indicator data for the majority of the most recent eight consecutive quarters, including patient falls, urinary tract infections, central line infections and pressure ulcers, among others. In addition to exceeding benchmarks, the nursing department must also demonstrate and provide evidence of empirical outcomes for a number of standards established by the ANCC. For more information about the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet Recognition Program®, visit http://www.nursecredentialing.org/magnet.
St. Mary’s Hospital is a 391-bed acute-care hospital, which has been serving Central Virginia since 1966. The hospital is accredited by The Joint Commission for having centers of excellence in heart failure, heart attack, hip and knee joint replacement and as a primary stroke center. It’s also a center of excellence for surgical weight loss and breast imaging. About one quarter of St. Mary’s Hospital patient admissions are received via transfer from outside facilities, coming from all across the region.
“We are proud of our nursing team at St. Mary’s Hospital for maintaining Magnet status for 15 years,” said Bryan Lee, president of St. Mary’s Hospital. “It’s no secret that the last few years in health care have been some of the most challenging as we’ve faced a pandemic and industry-wide staffing challenges. This designation is a true testament to our dedicated and extraordinary nurses at St. Mary’s.”
Receiving Magnet recognition for the fourth time reaffirms St. Mary’s Hospital’s nursing team as one of the most advanced and exceptional organizations in the country. This recognition comes following a document submission in August 2022. ANCC appraisers visited St. Mary’s Hospital in January 2023, for a rigorous 3-day virtual appraisal where they met with nearly 600 nurses, interdisciplinary team members, and members of the community over the course of the three days. The appraisers’ goal was to “verify, clarify and amplify” what was written in the documents.
ANCC developed the Magnet Recognition Program® as a way to differentiate hospitals and health care organizations and honor nursing excellence based on a rigorous audit process. Currently, only 601 hospitals across the nation have designated ANCC Magnet Recognition status. According to Magnet, designated hospitals are chosen based on a solid professional environment, guided by a strong visionary nursing leader who advocates and supports development and excellence in nursing practice.
“Maintaining this status is more than just checking a box for us, we implement these best practices because we know if we do, we will yield a better overall result for our patients and staff. This makes our hospital not only a better place to receive care, but a better place to work as well,” said Kim Bushnell, chief nursing officer for St. Mary’s Hospital. “We are proud of the increased retention and satisfaction we see among our nurses as a Magnet hospital, and we are proud to again be recognized as a top hospital for clinical nursing excellence in the nation.”
Once an organization achieves Magnet status, they must reapply every four years and go through a lengthy data collection and review process to maintain their designation. St. Mary’s Hospital’s application for redesignation
was outcome focused, with many examples of clinical nurse and nurse leader involvement in leading changes that resulted in improved outcomes for patients and the nurse practice environment, and it was found without any deficiencies. The application also required the organization to demonstrate better than the mean nurse sensitive indicator data for the majority of the most recent eight consecutive quarters, including patient falls, urinary tract infections, central line infections and pressure ulcers, among others. In addition to exceeding benchmarks, the nursing department must also demonstrate and provide evidence of empirical outcomes for a number of standards established by the ANCC. For more information about the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet Recognition Program®, visit http://www.nursecredentialing.org/magnet.
St. Mary’s Hospital is a 391-bed acute-care hospital, which has been serving Central Virginia since 1966. The hospital is accredited by The Joint Commission for having centers of excellence in heart failure, heart attack, hip and knee joint replacement and as a primary stroke center. It’s also a center of excellence for surgical weight loss and breast imaging. About one quarter of St. Mary’s Hospital patient admissions are received via transfer from outside facilities, coming from all across the region.