The Assessment Process &
The Impact upon Professional Nursing
Practice
Presented by:
Jennifer Edeogu BSN, RN
Yvette Heflin BSN, RN
Katrina Hernandez BSN, RN
Jacquelyn D. Svoboda RNC, MSN,WHNP
In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Course
GNRS 5411 Program Evaluation: Educator
Summer 2014
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At the conclusion of this Module, the audience
will be able to:
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Describe the history of the Magnet recognition.
Describe the criteria for the Magnet recognition.
Understand the preparation for Magnet
recognition.
Describe the evaluation process for Magnet
recognition.
Describe the impact of Magnet recognition of the
professional nursing practice.
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History & Power of Magnet Recognition:
1981- began as a research study
 Committee established by American Academy of
Nursing
 Nursing Shortage
 41 of 150 hospitals were recognized as Magnet
 Based on recruitment and retention
 Resulted in recognition of 12 themes, Forces of
Magnetism (Westendorf, 2007)
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History & Power of Magnet Recognition:
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1993- American Nurses Association (ANA) through the
American Nurses Credentialing Center established the
Magnet Recognition Program (Sullivan & Johnston,2004)
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Objectives (Sullivan & Johnston,2004)
 1. Recognize nursing services
 2. Promote quality
 3. Provide a means of successful nursing practices &
strategies
 4. Promote positive patient outcomes
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1. Quality of Nursing Leadership
2. Organizational Structure
3. Management Style
4. Personnel Policies and Programs
5. Professional Models of Care
6. Quality of Care
7. Quality Improvement
8. Consultation and Resources
9. Autonomy
10. Community and the Health Care Organization
11. Nurses as Teachers
12. Image of Nursing
13. Interdisciplinary Relationships
14. Professional Development
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Model classifies the 14 Forces of Magnetism into 5
Components
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Transformational Leadership ( Force 1 & 3)
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Structural Empowerment (Force 2, 4,10, 12 & 14)
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Exemplary Professional Practice (Force 5, 8, 9, 11 & 13)
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New Knowledge, Innovations & Improvements (Force 7)
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Empirical Outcomes (Force 6)
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Organization’s governing body must have a chief
nursing officer who has been in that position at least
for 1 year
Chief Nursing Officer must have a Master’s degree
Key Features (must already be in place):
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Standards for the Nurse Administrators as identified by
the American Nurses Association
A confidential feedback system
Data collected about the nurse-sensitive quality indicators
Conformity to all state, local, and federal laws
(Westerndorf, 20047)
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Structure
 Chief Nursing Officer (CNO)
 Magnet Project Coordinator
 Nursing Directors and Managers
 Committees to address the Forces of Magnetism
(Nursing staff and other staff members)
Process
 Timing of application with other activities
 Coordinating team meetings
 Completing and submitting application
 Educating and communicating with staff (brochures,
in-services, and posters)
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Online readiness tools from ANCC Organization SelfAssessment for Magnet Readiness
(www.ana.org/ancc/magnet/orgready.pdf)
Staff Nurse Self-Assessment to Determine Readiness to
Pursue Magnet Recognition
(www.ana.org/ancc/magnet/selfassess.pdf)
Consider staff surveys and focus groups such as shared
governance.
Develop databases, sources of data and performance
results
Cost benefit assessment
Consultants to assist with gap analysis and review
documents
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Working with other nurses who are clinically competent
Good nurse-physician relationships and communication
Nurse autonomy and accountability
Supportive nurse managers
Control over nursing practice and practice environment
Support for education (in-service, tuition, continuing education,
etc.)
Adequate nurse staffing
Concern for the patient is paramount
Visibility of Chief Nurse Executive
Staff nurse participation in hospital committees
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Quality Committee: involves collecting data for participation in the
National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI).
Forces of Magnetism committee: provide practice examples and collect
supporting evidence from point of care on how Forces are integrated
across nursing services and draft written documentation for submission
to steering committee/Magnet project coordinator
Education/Marketing committee: develops brochures, posters, and
flyers to keep employees aware of projects, writes Magnet update articles
for employees and nursing newsletters, educate all members of
organization on Magnet, and prepares organization for site visit
Steering committee: leads application process including document
submission and site visit, assigns accountability expectations to other
committees, evaluates progress, communicates with hospital leader and
medical staff, and oversees all committees
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Need to be interdisciplinary
Should be 8-12 members
Majority of members should be Registered Nurses
Balance between detailed planners and creative
thinkers
Staff nurses can be serve as committee chairs or share
role with member of the nursing leadership team
Include nurse assistants, unit clerks, and LVN’s
Magnet project coordinator should serve as resource
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Nursing practice council to address evidence-based policies and
procedures, infection, falls, and pressure ulcer rates (data must be
collected at the unit level)
nursing education council to address new employee orientation,
professional development, ways to increase nursing certifications,
and review required competencies for annual competency
evaluation
Nursing recruitment and retention council to revise/review
staffing and scheduling policies, monitors RN turnover rates and
organize recruitment job fairs and retention initiatives, and plan
nursing recognition events
Nursing leadership council to plan the budget for nursing
resources, participates in the process of clinical ladders and
peer/self evaluation, and review patient and nurse satisfaction
surveys and recommend practice changes
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The purpose of program evaluation is to improve program
effectiveness and demonstrate accountability
The more advanced a program is in its implementation, the more
complex becomes the program evaluation
Specific purposes of program evaluation are:
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To determine how various elements of the program interact and influence
program effectiveness
To determine the extent to which the mission, goals, and outcomes of the
program are realized
To determine whether the program has been implemented as planned
To provide a rational for decision making that leads to improved program
effectiveness
To identify efficient use of resources that are needed to improve program
quality
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Approach to program evaluation can be theory-driven or a model
based planning tool
The Logic Model is a planning tool used by program mangers and
evaluators to describe the effectiveness of their program
The model describes logical linkages among program resources,
activities, outputs, audiences, and short-, intermediate-, and longterm outcomes related to a specific problem or situation.
Logic models are narrative or graphical depiction of processes in
real life that communicates the underlying assumptions upon
which an activity is expected to lead to a specific result
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Magnet Recognized program evaluation is based on global issues
in nursing and health care
Program evaluation must begin by determining the appropriate
mission, philosophy, program goals, and outcomes have been
defined
The Magnet Program advances 3 goals within health care
organization
Promote quality in a setting that supports professional practice
 Identify excellence in the delivery of nursing services to patients/residents
 Disseminate best practices in nursing services
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Program evaluations built solely around accreditation criteria may
lack examination of some important elements or understanding of
the relationship between elements that influences program
success.
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Purpose of Magnet recognition: to separate
“true magnets from those that simply want to
achieve the recognition” (Hughes, 2008).
There are studies that have looked into the
relationship of magnet features to patient
outcomes
Magnet Recognition creates a structure for an
organizational environment conditions that
“support and facilitate nursing excellence”
(Hughes, 2008).
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With the Magnet Recognition, hospitals are able to
preserve a staff of well-qualified nurses which in turn
results in higher quality of care for patients
Studies show that nurses were more satisfied at
Magnet facilities and burn out rates were decreased
Having this recognition shows that these were good
places for ALL employees to work as well as a better
place for patients to receive care
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In essence, improvements are still needed to
research magnet features to better enhance
requirements
Philosophy of Magnet Status shows that nurses
function at their peak when in a Magnet Status
environment
Magnet recognition shows “lower burnout,
higher satisfaction, and fewer reports of
intentions to leave” (Hughes, 2008).
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American Nurses Credentialing Center (2014). Magnet Recognition
Program Model. Retrieved online at
http://www.nursecredentialing.org/Magnet/ProgramOverview/NewMagnet-Model.aspx
Billings, D. M., & Halstead, J. A. (2012). Teaching in nursing: A guide for
faculty (4th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Saunders.
Hughes , RG (2008). Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based
Handbook for Nurses. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality (US) Chapter 46. Retrieved online at
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2667/#ch46.r11
Turkel, M. C. (2004). HCPro's Guide to Assessing, Pursuing, and
Achieving Excellence in theANCC Magnet Recognition Program. 1st
edition. HCPro's, Inc.