MSK has applied to the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for Magnet® re-designation, which recognizes excellence in nursing services.
Memorial Sloan Kettering has always been proud of the exceptional care our nurses provide to patients and their families, and on February 17, 2016, our nursing staff achieved Magnet® recognition, the nation’s highest honor for excellence in nursing. This prestigious designation, granted by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), marks the culmination of a concentrated effort over many years, involving nurses at all levels, hospital leadership, and other staff — and is a formal acknowledgment of the exceptional care our nurses provide.
Magnet recognition gives patients a greater assurance that MSK delivers high-quality care and that the nurses and other members of their care teams are experts in their fields and patients’ needs.
The Magnet Application Process: The Road to Recognition
Appraisers review and score documentation demonstrating transformational leadership, shared governance, an innovative practice and learning environment, patient outcomes, and nurses’ job satisfaction. If an institution’s performance falls within a range of excellence, the appraiser team conducts an on-site visit.
In December 2015, the ANCC conducted a site visit to interview MSK staff and management, verify narratives from the application, and confirm MSK’s high standards of nursing and organizational excellence. Staff, patients, and family members described their experiences with MSK nurses in an open forum, several speaking with great emotion about the nurses’ skill and compassion.
The news that we were successful came via a telephone call to Elizabeth Nelkin McCormick, Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, that was on speaker to a packed auditorium of excited nurses, doctors, administrators, and support personnel at MSK’s Zuckerman Research Center. It was also covered at the time by MSK’s communications team in a blog post.
According to Ms McCormick, MSK’s leadership has always recognized the integral role nurses play in the care team, however, she stresses that the Magnet recognition “is most important to our patients because it gives them greater assurance that they’re coming to an organization where the nurses are highly skilled and knowledgeable”.
2016 Magnet Exemplars
The Commission on Magnet recognized MSK Nursing with seven exemplars in its initial designation:
- Advocacy of nursing leadership to obtain necessary resources to achieve an organizational goal
- Exemplary process of transitioning new graduate nurses to practice
- Exemplary process of onboarding and transitioning new nurse practitioners to practice
- Exemplary development and enculturation of the nursing professional practice model
- Advocacy of nursing leadership to obtain resources to support MSK’s growing patient population
- Numerous examples of the autonomy of MSK nurses that had a direct impact on clinical care
- Leadership empowers direct care staff to develop programs and processes to impact care and the work environment
The Magnet Recognition Program®, ANCC Magnet Recognition®, Magnet®, ANCC National Magnet Conference®, and Journey to Magnet Excellence® names and logos are registered trademarks of the American Nurses Credentialing Center. All rights reserved.