The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) granted Kootenai Health Magnet recognition for the third time; Kootenai has held Magnet status since 2006 and is one of only two Magnet hospitals in the state of Idaho. Magnet designation is the highest and most prestigious international distinction a health care organization can receive for nursing excellence.
The Magnet Recognition Program® recognizes health care organizations for quality patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice. To be recognized as a Magnet hospital, health care organizations must pass a rigorous and lengthy review process demanding widespread participation from leadership and staff.
“Receiving re-designation as a Magnet hospital requires the teamwork of nearly every department in the organization and is a strong representation of our culture of excellent patient care,” Joan Simon, Kootenai Health Chief Nursing Officer, said. “We are proud of the hard work and compassionate care our staff delivers every day.”
Magnet recognition has been shown to provide specific benefits to hospitals and their communities, such as higher patient satisfaction with nurse communication, availability of help, and receipt of discharge information and higher job satisfaction among nurses.
“We are honored and excited to receive Magnet status,” Jon Ness, Kootenai Health CEO, said. “This achievement is a validation of the professionalism, teamwork, and compassionate patient care Kootenai Health is known for.”
During conversations with the ANCC, they identified at least one area considered to be an outstanding example of work, or “exemplar.” They identified the Northern Idaho Crisis Center as a nurse-led, inter-professional, community-based initiative that is making a profound positive impact in our community. Kootenai Health has been proud to partner with Heritage Health, Panhandle Health District and many other community partners to make this program a success.
In order to retain Magnet status, organizations must reapply every four years. The process includes the submission of an electronic application, followed by written documentation and evidence regarding patient care and outcomes. Following the documentation review, qualifying organizations must undergo an extensive multi-day site visit by Magnet surveyors. The ANCC Magnet survey team spent three-days conducting an on-site survey at Kootenai Health in November, 2016.
