October 04, 2005
Genesis Medical Center, Davenport Achieves Magnet Nursing Designation
Davenport, IA - Genesis Medical Center (GMC), Davenport is the first and only hospital in the Quad Cities to be designated a Magnet facility, which recognizes hospitals demonstrating the highest standard of nursing care.
Magnet designation is awarded by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), an arm of the American Nurses Association.
Genesis becomes just the fourth in Iowa, to be awarded Magnet status. Of the roughly 6,000 hospitals in the United States, less than 3 percent have achieved Magnet Recognition.
The prestigious designation means GMC Davenport is recognized as providing the very best in nursing care. Magnet designation is awarded to hospitals that meet rigorous nationally and internationally recognized standards for nursing care and professional performance. GMC Davenport employs more than 1,000 full-time, part-time and per diem nurses.
“On behalf of the Magnet Recognition Program, we wanted to tell you how proud we are of your organization and let you know you are doing really great things. We’re delighted to welcome you into Magnet,’’ said Brenda Kelly, chair of the Magnet Recognition Commission. “Being a nurse myself, I recognize how much work you have done to achieve this award. It speaks so well of your leadership and all of your staff.’’
The ANCC’s Magnet Recognition Program is widely accepted as the highest standard of excellence in nursing care. Genesis joins University Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, the first Iowa hospital to achieve Magnet status (January 2004), Mercy Medical Center, Dubuque, and Alegent Mercy in Council Bluffs, as the only Magnet hospitals in Iowa.
“What a wonderful achievement for our nurses! The work they do every day is extraordinary and Magnet recognition is well deserved,’’ said Leo Bressanelli, President and Chief Executive Officer, Genesis Health System. “And while the Magnet designation is a nursing award, it wouldn’t be possible without effective collaboration between our nurses, physicians and all of the other departments.
“Those partnerships are critical to our ability to deliver compassionate, quality care. Every Genesis employee should take pride in this award.”
The label “Magnet Hospital” originally was given to a group of U.S. hospitals that successfully attracted (hence the term ‘Magnet’) and retained nurses during a national nursing shortage in the 1980s. Research into their success led to development of the formal Magnet Recognition Program.
In addition to outperforming their peers in nurse recruitment and retention, Magnet hospitals as a group have lower rates of nursing burnout, increased job satisfaction, higher consumer ratings for the quality of care delivered, increased productivity, lower Medicare and disease-specific mortality rates, shorter lengths of stay and increased patient satisfaction.
Also, Magnet hospitals attract more high quality physicians and specialists, and consumers have more confidence in the quality of Magnet-designated facilities, giving them a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Because it focuses on quality patient care and nursing excellence, Magnet Recognition provides consumers with the ultimate benchmark to measure the quality of care that they can expect to receive.
“I can’t tell you how proud I am of the nurses in this organization,” said Carole Reid, MSN, RN, Vice President, Patient Services and Chief Nurse Executive, Genesis Medical Center, Davenport. “As we focus on the day-to-day duties, it’s easy to lose sight of what a good job we really do. When we delved into our nursing environment during the course of compiling the required Magnet documentation, the quality of our nurses and the care they deliver became very apparent. The Magnet designation is external affirmation of that quality.”
The extensive, four-phase process to achieve Magnet designation for GMC Davenport began more than three years ago, and was coordinated by Jacque McClendon, PhD, RN, Professional Practice Coordinator for GMC Davenport.
After making an application to the Magnet Recognition Program, Genesis was required to submit written documentation and evaluation of its nursing organization. The written documentation submitted in December of last year was eight volumes totaling nearly 3,000 pages. The documentation was required to reflect the innovative, dynamic, excellence-focused features of the organization that are reflective of the 14 Forces of Magnetism.
It also was required to demonstrate how Genesis implements the Scope and Standards for Nurse Administrators throughout the organization’s structure, leadership, and management philosophy, as well as how the Standards are incorporated within nursing.
The written documentation was reviewed by program appraisers, who scored Genesis in the range of “excellent.’’ That evaluation moved Genesis into the third phase of the process – a site visit in June by Magnet appraisers. The visit allowed appraisers an opportunity to verify the content of the written documentation and evaluate the organizational environment in which nursing is practiced. The site visit also included a process of community participation in which the written documentation was open for public review and comment. Professional registered nurses with experience in quality processes, nursing services administration and nursing care conducted both the review of the written documentation and the site appraisal.
Following their site visit, the Magnet appraisers submitted a final report and recommendations to the Commission on Magnet Recognition, which reviewed the findings last week and awarded GMC Davenport its Magnet designation.
About Genesis Health System
Genesis Health System, its affiliates and partners offer a full continuum of care, including preventive, primary, acute and tertiary hospital care; home health; hospice; rehabilitation; and long-term care. Its affiliates include Genesis Medical Center, Davenport, DeWitt and the Illini Campus in Silvis, Illinois; the Genesis Medical Education Foundation, Visiting Nurse Association and GenVentures Inc. Partners include the Center for Digestive Health, Bettendorf, and Spring Street Surgical Center, Davenport. Serving a 10-county area of eastern Iowa and western Illinois, the Health System also operates Genesis Health Group and Genesis Behavioral Resources. For more information, visit our Web site at www.genesishealth.com.
