2009 MAGNET™ PROFILES - American Nurse Today

MAGNET PROFILES
from a pat on the back to formal
recognition. Everyone wants to be
recognized for a job well done.
Handwritten notes, letters placed in
employee files with copies sent to
appropriate administrators, and
small tokens of appreciation (such
as gift certificates to the coffee shop)
go a long way toward recognizing
and rewarding good performance.
Many organizations have peerrecognition
activities that include
thank-you-note bulletin boards
where staff members post appreciation
notes to each other.
When necessary, leaders should
provide constructive criticism in a
timely fashion. Along with such
criticism, reinforce your expectations
for the employee. If a staff
member fails to meet these expectations,
convey this conclusion
honestly in a structured performance
appraisal. (The same goes
when an employee meets or exceeds
expectations.) Use your organization’s
performance management
policies to address the
deficiency. Don’t sweep poor performance
under the rug or simply
transfer it to another department.
In addition, invite representatives
of other departments to visit
your unit so they can provide information on their
care processes and outcomes and help staff members
see how the various disciplines can work better
together to improve patient care.
Finally, participate in mock tracer studies to aid
assessment, using leaders from other departments
who can assess your unit’s processes objectively. This
also helps prepare staff to feel comfortable discussing
patient care processes and outcomes with others.
Sample signup sheet for quality-care topics
This sample signup sheet shows potential topics staff nurses may wish to present
for the “quality care” agenda item during monthly unit meetings.
RNs, LPNs: Sign up for
Month Topic your topic of interest
January Preventing bacteremia and UTIs Shelly Alvero
February Pressure ulcer prevalence, incidence, Melissa Shaw
and prevention
March Preventing medication errors Jim Maddison
April Preventing falls Doris Weber
May Culturally competent/sensitive care Rachael Verrango
June Reducing restraint use Chris Davidson
July
August
September
October
November
December
Pain management
Informed consent and operative procedures
Patient education practices
Functional and nutritional screening
Evidence-based practice/quality measures
appropriate for the nursing unit
Advance directives and patient rights
supporting a culture that demonstrates Magnet
principles in daily practice.
Consistently providing the safest and best care
possible isn’t negotiable—but being in continual
compliance isn’t as daunting as it may seem. You
can achieve this goal by exhibiting visionary leadership,
creating a culture of safety and high expectations,
and using effective communication, education,
feedback, and teamwork.
■
A final “E” for excellence
Setting clear expectations, providing staff education,
engaging staff in quality initiatives, and evaluating
outcomes can help your work culture
achieve both continual readiness for surveys and
excellence in performance. A culture of excellence
empowers nurses to create innovative solutions to
help achieve excellent clinical outcomes, which in
turn supports the Magnet principles of the American
Nurses Credentialing Center. Magnet hospitals
demonstrate better quality, as shown by decreased
patient morbidity and mortality. By maintaining a
laser focus on high standards of patient care, leaders
and their staff can help ensure their units are
complying with regulatory requirements and are
Selected references
Adamski P. Implement a handoff communications approach. Nurs
Manage. 2007;38(1):10,12.
Adamski P. Prepare for the next patient instead of the next survey.
Nurs Manage. 2006;37(11):9.
American Nurses Credentialing Center. Announcing a New Model for
ANCC's Magnet Recognition Program. www.nursecredentialing.org/
Magnet/NewMagnetModel.aspx. Accessed August 24, 2009.
Comeau E, Lowry D. Unannounced JC survey. J Nurs Care Qual.
2005;20(1):5-8.
Gant NR, Sorenson L, Howard RI. A collaborative perspective on
nursing leadership in quality improvement. Nurs Adm Q. 2003;
27(4):324-329.
Barbara C. Sorbello is Administrative Director for Acute Care Services at Bon
Secours-St. Francis Medical Center in Midlothian, Virginia.
66 American Nurse Today Volume 4, Number 8