Well - Winter 2011 - (Page 12)

Distinguished Nursing Care Unc health care’s Magnet designation reaffirms quality across the board. By aBBie kieFer and Mindy lance Very health care employee plays a vital role in providing the best patient care, and the nurses at UNC Health Care UNC Health Care are no exception. Recently, nurses attend to UNC Hospitals earned the a young patient. prestigious Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), which honors organizations that meet stringent standards of excellence. Currently, only about 6 percent of hospitals in the United States have achieved this designation. “It is amazing to see what nurses can accomplish with some time and resources,” says Chief Nursing Officer Mary Tonges, PhD, RN. “They fully embrace and fulfill our mission of caring for the people of North Carolina.” Earning the distinguished nurse Magnet title is governed by strict criteria and requires years of hard work and planning to collect all of the necessary data in order to apply. The nursing staff at Magnet institutions must demonstrate five key characteristics of excellence, including leadership, a professional work environment and positive patient care outcomes. (See “Five Marks of Excellence.”) To build its Magnet application, UNC Health Care’s nursing team documented successes in each of these areas. They also hosted a panel of ANCC evaluators, who visited nearly every nursing unit and interviewed a wide range of people, from doctors and social workers to nutritionists, hospital security staff and community members. According to Dr. Tonges, becoming a Magnet-designated organization reaffirms that patients and nurses alike want to be at UNC Health Care. “Magnet designation is external validation of the excellence of the nursing care and practice environment at UNC,” she says. The nursing team is honored by the Magnet recognition and by the trust patients put in them every day. Although the Photo: Brian Strickland Five Marks of excellence Health care organizations that apply for nurse Magnet status must demonstrate five key characteristics, according to the American Nurses Credentialing Center. 1 Transformational leadership—guiding teams with vision, influence, knowledge and expertise. 4 5 2 Structural empowerment—creating an environment in which professional practice flourishes. Exemplary professional practice— understanding and fulfilling the nurse’s role. New knowledge, innovations and improvements—contributing to patient care and the profession. 3 Empirical quality results—demonstrating positive clinical, workforce, patient and organizational outcomes. recognition is an extraordinary source of pride for nurses, they say it belongs to everyone at UNC Health Care. “Nurses do not work in a vacuum,” says Cathy Madigan, RN, associate chief nursing officer and co-chair of the Magnet initiative at UNC Health Care. “Every day, we collaborate with colleagues in every department to provide our patients with outstanding care. So this recognition focuses on nursing, but it honors our entire organization.” 12 Winter 2011 Well

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Well - Winter 2011

Well - Winter 2011
Contents
UNC Health Care News
Community
You Don’t Have to Live with Incontinence
Much More Than Brain Surgery
Bouncing Back
My Story
Distinguished Nursing Care
Nutrition
Calendar

Well - Winter 2011