September 12, 2003

Simply the best: MGH receives Magnet recognition

A nervous excitement filled the air on Bulfinch 2 just before 11 am Sept. 8. Jeanette Ives Erickson, RN, MS, senior vice president for Patient Care Services and chief nurse, was expecting an important phone call. Surrounded by members of nursing and administration leadership, Ives Erickson patiently waited to hear from the commissioner of the American Nurses Association (ANA) the news the hospital community had been waiting for since June — would the MGH receive Magnet Nursing Recognition?

There was a brief pause after Ives Erickson answered the phone. As all eyes rested on her, she finally gave a "thumbs up," and the small crowd broke into applause. The news was clear — the MGH had been awarded the highest honor for nursing excellence — making it the only Magnet-designated hospital in the state.

The Magnet Recognition Program was developed by the ANA's American Nurses Credentialing Center to recognize health care organizations that provide the best in nursing care and to uphold the tradition of excellence in professional nursing practice.
" MGH nurses consistently have distinguished themselves as leaders within their profession," says Ives Erickson. "It is quite gratifying to have the American Nurses Association formally confirm what the MGH community has always known — that MGH nurses are the best of the best."

As part of an extensive, multi-phased evaluation process, Magnet Recognition Program appraisers visited the hospital in June to conduct an intensive, on-site examination of MGH's nursing and collaborative practices, professional development programs and research initiatives as well as its commitment to quality, safety, performance improvement and the community. Appraisers interviewed patients, staff nurses, physicians, hospital employees, administrators, trustees and nursing leadership to evaluate the MGH's nursing program, services and delivery of care to patients and families.

" Monday's announcement was a proud moment for our institution," says Peter L. Slavin, MD, president of the MGH. "This honor is so well deserved by our nurses — who consistently provide the highest quality of care to the patients we serve."

During the next few weeks, the MGH community will be celebrating this achievement with public announcements, advertisements and special events.