Stuck on excellence: Our Magnet journey

Quality. Excellence. Innovation. Those terms define the standards of patient care that UMHS strives to achieve every day.

This week, UMHS has the chance to prove it meets or exceeds these standards during a site visit by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Appraisers will be on-site today through Thursday, Dec. 15, to evaluate the health system for Magnet Recognition, the most prestigious honor in nursing.

Magnet Recognition was developed by the ANCC to honor health care organizations that meet rigorous standards for quality patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice. It is achieved by only 6 percent of U.S. hospitals.

The site visit by the ANCC is the culmination of a journey at UMHS that began in 2012. Since then, hundreds of pages of documents and measurements in more than 100 standards of excellence have been submitted to the ANCC detailing the health system’s commitment to patient care.

“At UMHS, nursing excellence is not a new goal, but one that serves as a beacon on our journey to truly transform patient care,” said Marge Calarco, Ph.D., RN, NEA-BC and UMHS’ chief nursing officer. “Our Magnet documents acknowledge the breadth of the remarkable work done by UMHS nurses and our entire organization.”

Attracting the best

Why is earning Magnet status so important? First, the recognition is widely considered the leading source of successful nursing practices and strategies worldwide.

The designation also ensures that our organization is constantly improving patient care, safety and satisfaction, aligning perfectly with our mission of providing world-class care.

Additionally, it provides UMHS the opportunity to showcase our collaborative culture across all disciplines and our commitment to advancing nursing standards, practice and empowerment within the organization. This will allow us to attract and retain top talent from across the globe

Finally, Magnet status helps patients and the community identify hospitals that provide a higher level of care.

Coming together to earn recognition

It’s important for everyone at UMHS — not just those in the nursing community — to play a role in helping achieve Magnet status. Faculty and staff should reach out to nursing colleagues this week to learn how they can help provide care and services that meet or exceed Magnet’s high standards.

Additionally, Magnet Appraisers will set aside time to speak with UMHS employees. If you have specific comments you’d like to share with the site visitors, they will be available for private sessions at the following time:

• When: 1 p.m. – 1:50 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 13
• Where: L3113, UH South

If you’d like to review the documentation UMHS submitted to the ANCC, you may find it here. It is also available for review in the CSR Main Office at C108 in the Med Inn Building.

The health system is expected to find out some time during the first quarter of 2017 as to whether or not UMHS is recommended for the Magnet designation. Thank you for your assistance in helping U-M reach this important goal!