Why Magnet Status Is Important in Nursing and How Regis Can Prepare You

What is magnet status?

Magnet status symbolizes that a health organization is actively striving for excellence in healthcare—specifically by investing in their nurses.

Magnet hospitals need to display a dedication to developing and supporting their nursing staff, through education opportunities, mentorship programs, inclusive leadership structures, and more. It’s also common for magnet hospitals to also have an excellent reputation for customer satisfaction since their nursing staff is able to provide high quality patient care.

There are a number of eligibility criteria for magnet hospitals, including:

• An individual serving as the Chief Nursing Officer who is involved in the highest level of decision-making and has a master’s degree or higher
• A team of nurse managers and leaders who all have a bachelor’s or graduate degree
• A forum for nurses to express their concerns without fear of retribution
• Compliance with federal regulations from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and federal commissions
• The regular collection of nurse-sensitive indicators to promote quality improvement initiatives and submit data on nurse and patient satisfaction for comparison

It’s important to note that more hospitals are only hiring nurses with a bachelor’s degree to get one step closer to earning magnet status. Therefore, if you’re still wondering whether or not a bachelor’s degree in nursing is worth it, remember that you won’t get hired at one of these facilities without it.

Here’s a closer look at some of the benefits you can expect from working at a facility with magnet status.

Top Benefits of Working at a Magnet Hospital

Strong Nurse Leadership

Part of magnet recognition criteria is that there must be a defined and dedicated team of nurse leadership. These nurses hold decision-making positions, sit on interdisciplinary committees, and offer their voice and opinions at the highest level.

This type of strong leadership often contributes to a positive work environment for several reasons. For one, it gives nurses more representation at the table when it comes to high-level decision-making. This ensures nurses feel heard when organizational changes are made that directly affect their work.

It can also give nurses an additional person to go to for individual support. While nurse managers can help with day-to-day challenges, high-level leadership can provide guidance on bigger picture topics.

Supportive Organizational Structure

Magnet hospitals inherently foster a collaborative and inclusive environment for nurses, providing a working culture of support, development, and encouragement. By providing a clear hierarchy, nurses understand what stakeholders to go to for support, collaboration, and even professional development.

Professional growth of nurses is often defined as developing additional clinical skills, but establishing nurse leadership showcases the potential for career growth and advancement beyond clinical roles, while also working alongside potential mentors.

Empowered and Engaged Nursing Staff

Magnet hospitals include nurse leadership in decision-making, allowing the nursing organization to have a say in the things going on at the hospital. In addition to this representation giving other nurses a voice, it has also given nurses a reason to stay engaged in the work they are doing.

This has led to increased job satisfaction and lower turnover rates in an industry that has struggled to effectively support nurses.

According to one study, the average staff turnover rate at magnet hospitals is less than 10 percent. This is significantly lower than the national average which is over 22 percent.

Quality of Care

At most magnet hospitals, the nurse-to-patient ratio is often lower than at non-magnet hospitals, which means nurses are less likely to be overwhelmed and overworked. It also means they can give each patient more time and attention.

Better working environments for nurses leads to improved care and lower patient mortality. In fact, according to a study, there was much higher patient satisfaction with nurse communication, availability of help, and receipt of discharge information at magnet hospitals compared to others. Even the 30-day mortality rate was reportedly lower at magnet status facilities.

Increased Educational Opportunities

Magnet hospitals have access to a number of various resources, including clinical nurse specialists and nurse leaders for guidance. It gives nurses the opportunities to explore new areas of specialty, as well as seek out further assistance in their career development.

“Magnet hospitals have more resources to support nurses in higher education since their goal is to have, at minimum, bachelor’s prepared nurses,” says Sharon Higgins, Interim Dean of Regis College’s Young School of Nursing.

Magnet hospitals also have resources and support to help nurses go even further in their studies—to master’s- and doctoral-level degrees. In the end, it’s a win-win situation that encourages nurses to accomplish new educational feats while providing additional benefits to the magnet hospitals they work in.

How Regis Prepares Students for Magnet Hospitals

Regis College’s RN to BS program allows RNs with an associate's degree to earn their bachelor’s degree with flexible, online, and part-time options in an expedited time period. Not only that, it offers students several ways to capitalize on their bachelor’s degree and get one step closer to working at a magnet status hospital.

For example, the Regis College nursing bachelor's degree job placement hinges on the exceptional faculty of practicing providers—many of which have leadership roles at magnet hospitals. As a result, Regis’ coursework directly aligns with the expectations of magnet status facilities.

“We’ve taken a look at our curriculum and made updates to it that align with the AACN guidelines for magnet designation,” Higgins says.

Additionally, many of Regis’ partner organizations are magnet-designated hospitals, allowing student nurses to work or complete clinical at these facilities. This offers several opportunities for students to build relationships and expand their network at magnet status organizations.

Regis’ program also offers current course content to stay up-to-date with the evolving requirements of the industry and magnet designation. For example, Regis offers courses around the current trends in nursing such as health informatics. In addition to new courses, Regis also constantly reviews and improves their curriculum to ensure it reflects industry standards.

Take the Next Step in Your Nursing Career

To work and learn at a magnet hospital is the ultimate goal for nursing professionals, and the first step to accomplish that goal is to earn your bachelor’s degree in nursing. With a bachelor’s degree—like the one offered at Regis College—you can demonstrate your dedication to further education, continuous learning and development, career advancement, and enhancing your professional knowledge to provide the best care possible.

Are you an RN looking to join a magnet hospital and need to complete your BS in Nursing? Learn more about Regis’ RN to BS program.