VCU health system earns national Magnet nursing designation

By Malorie Burkett

The American Nurses Credentialing Center has awarded the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Magnet status, the highest honor and level of recognition the group awards to nursing excellence in national and international health care.

The ANCC, the nation's largest and leading nursing credentialing organization within the American Nurses Association, issued the designation on Wednesday.

"This recognition provides consumers with a benchmark to measure the quality of care that they can expect to receive,” said VCU President Eugene P. Trani. "While there are other academic health centers that have received this designation, most have not, and I congratulate our hard-working nursing professionals."

The award recognizes excellence in 14 rigorous standards that touch all aspects of superior nursing, from patient care quality to nursing education and leadership. Health systems applying for Magnet status must meet a range of criteria, including the quality of nursing leadership, professional models of care, quality of care and a commitment to quality improvement.

“The Magnet designation is emblematic of the outstanding quality of care delivered by the nurses here,” said Sheldon Retchin, M.D., CEO of the VCU Health System. “Additionally, we have an extraordinary team of health professionals at VCU, including our physicians, pharmacists, therapists and staff who are all standing a little taller today — proud to be the first health system in Central Virginia to be recognized for Magnet status.”

VCU began the application process for the Magnet recognition program in June 2003, and this past December, representatives of ANCC completed a three-day, on-site visit.

According to Carol Crosby, R.N., vice president for patient care services and chief nursing officer, the VCU Health System joins an elite group of about 200 healthcare organizations worldwide that have received the prestigious honor, and three other Magnet-designated health systems in Virginia, including Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Carilion Medical Center in Roanoke and Centra Health in Lynchburg.

“I am delighted at this wonderful recognition of the richness and vibrancy of professional nursing practice at the VCUHS,” said John Duval, CEO of MCV Hospitals. “Being designated as a Magnet organization is a special affirmation of the quality of our nurses, our nursing organization and all of our staff across the Health System.”

The Magnet recognition program was developed by ANCC to recognize healthcare organizations that provide the very best in nursing care and uphold the tradition within nursing of professional nursing practice. To be considered a Magnet hospital, an organization must meet more than 65 stringent nursing practice standards and patient care quality indicators developed by the ANCC.

“This is a testament to the dedication of the VCU nursing staff, whose professionalism is manifested in the delivery of excellent care,” said Crosby. “It is their dedication to excellence, evidence-based practice, collaboration and commitment to lifelong learning that has led to the VCU Health System receiving this designation.”

The award will officially be presented next month at the ANCC Magnet conference in Miami. For more information on the credentialing process, go to http://www.nursingworld.org/ancc/magnet/index.html.