On Aug. 19, St. Louis Children’s Hospital (SLCH) earned a distinction that only about 100 other hospitals worldwide achieved—its third consecutive four-year Magnet® honor for nursing excellence. The announcement of the 2014-2019 designation was given by the American Nurses Credentialing Center®.
A select group of about 400 U.S. health care organizations out of nearly 6,000 nationwide have received Magnet recognition since 1994. Magnet hospitals must continue to achieve rigorous standards to earn another four year designation. Such high standards enable a hospital, like a magnet, to attract and retain outstanding nurses, the ANCC reports.
Peggy Gordon, MS, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, vice president, patient care services, says the honor reflects the caliber of the entire hospital.
“I’m proud to work with such a great staff and leadership team here,” she says. “This achievement followed an intensive two-year application and evaluation process. Everyone’s hard work has paid off, and we are all excited to have that recognized. It says a lot about our efforts to deliver a superior patient experience to every patient, every family, every day.”
ANCC recognized the hospital for outstanding progress in several areas, including:
- Community benefit, such as summer camps and the Healthy Kids
- Express mobile health van program
- Family-centered care, including extensive parental involvement in the perioperative area
- Resources to meet the unique individual needs, such as interpretive services and the Family Resource Center
In addition, the hospital exceeded the national average for all five categories of a national nursing satisfaction survey. “Being a Magnet hospital speaks to the high level of patient care, collaboration and professionalism of our entire organization,” says Joan Magruder, SLCH president. “Magnet hospitals must meet high standards, such as having better patient outcomes and outstanding patient satisfaction. I’m proud of our team for earning this honor, and it inspires all of us to continue to strive to be even better.”
