How to Remind Staff About What Magnet Recognition Is

Magnet status signifies quality nursing for hospitals and health systems. The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) approves magnet recognition after a rigorous application and review process. "U.S. News and World Report" includes ANCC Magnet designation in its annual scoring criteria for "America's Best Hospitals" and patients often seek care at Magnet hospitals. A staff communication plan can spotlight the significance of Magnet recognition for the entire hospital and emphasize the importance of organization-wide teamwork in assuring quality patient care.

Things You'll Need

• Managers and Magnet team leaders
• Hospital communication team
• Talking points
• Existing internal communication tools

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Instructions

• 1

  Request input and participation from nursing managers and committees. Ask Magnet team members to help set goals, craft talking points and disseminate key messages.

• 2

  Consult with the hospital's communication team for guidance on an internal communication plan. Map out a realistic time line, such as monthly or quarterly, for rolling out key messages.

• 3

  Decide on key message content and number of talking points. Write brief, practical goal-oriented messages that focus on teamwork, patient outcomes, patient preferences, national quality standards or other desired Magnet criteria. Prioritize the order for talking points and obtain necessary approvals.

• 4

  Create a Power Point presentation for manager use. Prioritize the targeted hospital departments and offer guest speakers for meetings of nursing, ancillary and managerial staff, and hospital volunteers.

• 5

  Identify existing communication tools and offer talking points or brief articles for inclusion in printed and e-newsletters, intranet sites, internal blogs and internal social media sites. Consider other options such as fliers, screen savers and cafeteria tent cards. Coordinate with health observance event organizers for events such as Nurses' Week to host an information table in a high-traffic area.

• 6

  Provide scripted pocket cards for managers' use during employee rounds to assure consistent messaging across the entire organization.

• 7

  Ask target groups for feedback. Evaluate results, modify and repeat key messages on an ongoing basis to maximize staff retention of information.