Magnet Excellence in Nursing
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has received its third consecutive Magnet designation for nursing excellence, making it the hospital with the longest-running Magnet designation in California.
Nationwide, only about five percent of hospitals have earned the four-year Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the credentialing arm of the American Nurses Association. Cedars-Sinai was the first Southern California hospital to earn the Magnet honor in 2000, and one of only six hospitals to receive this designation three times. Studies show that Magnet hospitals tend to have lower mortality and infection rates, as well as higher patient satisfaction and nurse staffing levels.
The medical center was also recognized in the Magnet process for its commitment to continued nurse training and education. Cedars-Sinai has been providing nurses with free educational programs and financial assistance through the Geri and Richard Brawerman Nursing Institute since 2002. The medical center also sponsors free baccalaureate and masters' classes for employees through an on-site nursing school affiliated with Cal State Los Angeles and offers specialty certifications review courses and exams. As a result of the institute programs, the number of nurses holding baccalaureate and master's degrees has increased, as well as the number of nurses with specialty certifications.
Magnet designations are based not only on the quality of care provided, but also on a commitment to continuously improving patient care and the health of the community. The award recognizes excellence in nursing and provides consumers with a benchmark to measure the quality of care they can expect to receive. To determine a facility's Magnet designation, the ANCC judges the quality of nursing leadership; consultation and resources; organizational structure; nursing autonomy; management style; participation in and provision of services to improve the community's health; personnel policies and programs; support from executive management; nurses as teachers; professional models of care; image of nursing; quality of care; collegial nurse-physician relationships; quality improvement; and professional development.
