IMPACT OF MAGNET RECOGNITION PROGRAM IN NURSING CAREER

INTRODUCTION

Magnetic recognition program is an accolade awarded to hospitals and nurses who pass

the criteria set aside by the American Academy of Nursing. It is a program aimed at attaining the

best qualified degree nurses and the most effective and efficient hospitals in alignment to

innovations and new technologies. In 1983, the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) Task

Force on Nursing Practice in Hospitals conducted a study to identify attributes of organizations

that recruit and retain qualified nursing staff. In 1990, the AAN approved the Magnet Hospital

Recognition Program for Excellence in Nursing Services, using the 1983 study as a framework.

In 1994, the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle was named the first ANCC

Magnet-designated organization. The goal of Magnet status is to identify and systematize

nursing excellence, as excellence in nursing can lead to better patient outcomes. Magnet

hospitals tend to have a low patient-to-nurse ratio, lower mortality rates for surgical patients,

lower hospital-associated infection rates. Many nurses also want to work with magnet hospitals

because the hospitals have lower employee turnover and their compensations are generally better

compared to other hospitals. Thus a magnetic hospital is a Hospital that has been awarded due to

transformational leadership, structural empowerment, exemplary professional practice, new

knowledge, innovations and improvements and empirical outcomes.

The health department is undergoing different changes due to the emerging issues such as

the covid-19 pandemic, many hospitals are faced with inadequacy of qualified and competent

nurses, enough space to contain the ICU patients and insufficient resources to grasp the changes.

These has led to many nurses working hard to qualify and have the opportunity to work with the
magnetic hospitals. The magnetic program is an open program for hospital who seek the highest

international credentialing for nursing excellence and quality patient care through evidence-

based practice (Bashaw, 2011; Basheaw, Rosenstein, & Lounsbury, 2012; Drenkard, 2011). In

2002, the medical center’s nursing recruitment and retention committee analyzed nursing

turnover and found it was highest (29.5%) for new graduate nurses in their first year of

employment. These nursing drop-outs have financial costs for health care organizations and it

ultimately impacts the health care team’s delivery of quality care. Turnover also disrupts the

work of health care teams as dissatisfied nurses leave organizations. A magnetic hospital has a

higher chance of attracting better and qualified nursing staff. Given the capacity of these

magnetic hospitals its easy for their nurses to be innovation with dealing with new emerging

diseases of this era. In this topic, we shall be researching on the impact of the magnet recognition

program in relation to the nursing career.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The importance of the study is to understand the extent at which Magnet awards has

towards nurse’s work performance and productivity. The study will aim at providing reasons

why majority of nurses strive to qualify to work in magnetic hospital. In addition, to understand

how magnetic awards, make hospitals stand out in the crowd.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

This research is aimed at identifying, analyzing and understanding the effects of the

magnetic recognition program in relation to the nursing career. It will give an in-depth

understanding of how the nurses benefit from working in magnetic hospitals. It will also make us

understand why Hospitals have to achieve the magnet award.

 The research question for this research will be:

Does the Magnet recognition program have any impact on nursing career?

HYPOTHESIS OF THE STUDY

The magnetic recognition program has a positive impact on nursing career. (General

hypothesis)

The magnetic recognition program has no impact on nursing career (Null hypothesis).

LITERATURE REVIEW

Magnet Recognition program has gained a great influence on nurses and hospitals in the

recent past. A research conducted in 2007 to determine changes overtime in surgical outcomes,

nurse related quality and outcomes between magnetic and nonmagnetic hospitals. They used a

Retrospective, 2-stage panel design using 4 secondary data sources from a sample size of One

hundred thirty-six Pennsylvania hospitals (11 emerging Magnets and 125 non-Magnets). The

findings were that there is an association between Magnet hospitals and better outcomes for

nurses and patients. However, little evidence exists between extent of the relationship between

magnetic recognition and outcomes. In general, Magnet recognition is associated with significant

improvements over time in the quality of the work environment, and in patient and nurse

outcomes that exceed those of non-Magnet hospitals (Kutney-Lee et al., 2015).

In addition, two reviews were also conducted in 2009 and 2015 which explored effects of

Magnet recognition awards. Salmond, Begley, Brennan, and Saimbert (2009) examined the

impact of Magnet awards on patient and nurse outcomes and came out with positive outcomes of
Magnetic recognition awards on the nursing career and practice. Salmond and colleagues also

argued that the evidence supported the investment in Magnet and cited that Magnet award was

associated with lower levels of emotional exhaustion, higher job satisfaction and higher intent to

stay (Aiken & Patrician, 2000; Schmalenberg & Kramer, 2007; Stone et al., 2007). However, a

more recent review by Petit Dit Dariel and Regnaux (2015, p. 198) concluded that: while

existing studies suggest that Magnetic awards, offers an interesting opportunity to attract and

retain staff and promote good practice among nurses, more rigorous designs are needed to

establish causal links between the magnet awards and the outcomes.

Research conducted to evaluate the strength of and the prospects for employing evidence

based nursing practice, it was established that nurses in magnet rated hospitals had more

resources and positive perceptions towards their facilities organizational readiness to provide

services in relation to nurses in non-magnet hospitals (Warren et al., 2016). According to

research by Shepherd (2014), on the impact of strategies such as aware desire knowledge ability

on the performance of nurses, it was established that building shared governance culture among

nurses led to higher nurse satisfaction. Similarly, it caused improvement in nurse retention and

patient outcomes. A research conducted by Hess et al., (2011) to make a comparison between

nurses in magnet, in-process, and non-magnetic hospitals, it was established that chances to

influence decisions and partake in shared governance were higher in magnet and in process.

Introduction of the new magnet model which provides a framework for nursing practice

and research in the future, as well as serving as a roadmap for organizations seeking to achieve

Magnet recognition. To provide greater clarity and direction, as well as eliminate redundancy

within the Forces of Magnetism, the new model configures the Forces of Magnetism into five

Model Components which includes transformational leadership, structural empowerment,

exemplary professional practice, new knowledge, innovations and improvements and empirical

outcomes.

There has been a change in the requirement of hospitals to be awarded the magnet

recognition award. Effective February 1, 2019, the Commission on Magnet has declared a new

eligibility requirement hospital. In order to advance to the Site Visit phase of the appraisal

process, applicant organizations must meet the scoring threshold for excellence (i.e., the majority

of the settings outperform at least three of the four RN Satisfaction categories) in the Written

Documentation phase. Failure to achieve the scoring threshold required prior to site visit for

EP2EO will result in the conclusion of the appraisal process. This requirement is grounded in the

seminal research on RN work environments and satisfaction and our ongoing efforts to

maximum the alignment between the goals and research foundation of the Magnet Recognition

Program.

VARIABLES

A variable refers to an item, object or a person that you need to measure in a research. An

Independent variable is a variable which is stable and unaffected by another factor while

dependent variable changes with any effect on the independent variable. Discrete variables are

variables which can be directly measured while continuous variables are variables which cannot

be directly measured and can be given in terms of ratio and ranges. It is important to define and

understand variables which will be used in a research to foster a better understanding and

achievement of the research question. The following are the variables we will be having under

this study.

Independent variable: Magnet recognition program

 Dependent variables: Nursing career

Discrete variables: Number of nurses, number of hospitals

Continuous variables: Age of nurses, distance of hospitals

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY/METHODS

Research methodology refers to how a researcher will employ different systematic

techniques to achieve a reliable and valid results to address the research question. The research

shall use the descriptive research method to determine the impact of magnet recognition program

on nurses. The research will be performed using both quantitative and qualitative information.

Quantitative information refers to data which can be counted, measured and given numeric

values. On the other side, qualitative data can only be observed and recorded. The quantitative

methods will involve the use of numerical data to derive results which will include surveys,

systematic observations, and secondary research.

The qualitative methods include using non numerical data to derive results and it will

encompass observations, interviews, surveys and secondary research.

Surveys: This will entail distributing questionnaires both open ended and closed ended to

the nurses and the magnet hospitals.

Systematic observation: it will involve observing and recording both qualitative and

quantitative data as observed both from the nurses and the hospitals.
 Secondary search: it will entail collecting both qualitative and quantitative secondary data

and recording it in pictures, recordings, audios, videos and texts

DATA COLLECTION METHODS

Data is a very important aspect in any research because it helps in identifying problems

and empowers one to make informed decisions. Data will be categorized into both the primary

and secondary data. The primary data is data that is collected directly from the source directly by

the researcher. We shall use questionnaires and interviews to get firsthand information from

different interviewees. The secondary data is data that is collected from a third party. We shall

use already published data on magnet hospitals and nurses to get more information for the

research.

TARGET POPULATION

Population is a group of people or objects from which the researcher wants to draw the

research from. It’s the general pool where one draws the sample to study. Our population is

magnetic hospitals and all nurses in profession but due to the big size we shall be doing our

research on a sample size of three hundred nurses in magnet recognition program Four magnet

recognized hospitals shall be used to draw the sample.

SAMPLING METHOD

Sampling is the process of selecting a few elements from a big population to represent the

whole population under study. Simple random sampling method is whereby the researcher gives

equal opportunity and representation of the whole population chance to be in the sample. Due to
the high population of nurses in question, we shall use simple random sampling method to avoid

biasness.

DATA MANAGEMENT AND ANALYSIS

Data management is an essential element of any research. Proper data management will

definitely yield to better results. We shall use the research data management system to keep our

data safe and secure. Analysis using a constant comparative method that included data reduction,

data display, data comparison, conclusion drawing, and verification will be used in creation of

categories and subthemes from the included research studies.

Measures of frequency such as count and percentage will be used. Measures of central

tendency such as mean, mode and median will also be used and Measures of variations such as

range, variance and standard deviation will also be used. Regression analysis will also be used to

determine the relationship between magnet recognition program and nurses. Analysis of variance

testing will also be used to show how the variables vary from each other.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

All research poses ethical concerns from the researcher and the subject. Others require

verification from certain boards. In this research we shall deal with the following ethical

considerations:

Honesty and integrity:

 This research shall be submitted with openness and all the matters for disclosure without

harm shall be disclosed. Answers from respondents shall be written and tabulated as they are

without any fabrications. All the nurses and the hospitals shall be informed prior to the data

collections the purpose of the research. Any arrangement and agreement between the nurses and

the researcher shall be adhered to.

Confidentiality:

All the information gathered from the respondents shall be confidential and they will not

be further called by another entity on the same. All the respondent who do not want disclosure

shall have the right of confidentiality during the process.

Plagiarism:

Plagiarism is the act of taking someone’s else work and publishing it as your own work

This research will be an original work and all citation and credits for authors will be

published.

Anonymity

Respondents will be assured that their identities will not be published or granted for

public viewing.

PROPOSED OUTCOME

I will be carrying this research with the aim of shedding light on how magnetic

recognition awards have affected the contributions of nurses in the health industry and to

encourage more hospital to aim for the magnetic recognition program. Through the awareness
from this research many nurses worldwide will be encouraged to keep pushing forward to gain

more credentials in nursing in order to gain access in magnet hospitals. It will also encourage

non magnet hospitals to work hard towards excellence and innovations to gain the magnetic

award.

LIMITATIONS

The research is limited to only four magnetic hospitals and three hundred nurses thus it

would be hard to generalize the findings for the total nurses and hospitals. The research will also

be limited to a short geographical area because of the travelling restrictions put due to covid 19

coronavirus pandemic.

TIME SCALE

The researcher aims to complete this research in a period of ten months. A table

presented below outlines the estimates duration of each process.

TIME SCALE SCHEDULE

M J J A S O N D J F
ay une uly ug ep ct ov ec an eb
Li X x
terature x x
review
Re x x
search x x
Pr
oposal
D x x X x
ata x x x x
collection
D x x
ata x x
analysis
Fi x
nal draft x
Su x
bmission x

RESOURCE ALLOCATION

The research is estimated to cost the following amounts in USD

1 Travelling (4 hospitals) 900

2 Phone calls and internet 60
3 Photocopying and printing 60
4 Online books 50
5 Refreshments 70
7 Library charges 10
8 Masks and Sanitizer 40
9 Miscellaneous 10
TOTAL 1200