This year, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center (PPMC) achieved Magnet Designation for the third time. Only a little more than 500 hospitals worldwide receive the designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), one of the highest achievements a hospital can reach in the world of professional nursing. All Magnet-designated hospitals have to re-apply every four years.
Every time, the application process takes months of documentation and preparation and comprehensive site visits, a difficult process that lasts for nearly two years. But this time around, the PPMC team faced another hurdle: a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic and all the difficult restrictions that came with safely caring for patients in the midst of it.
The application process, which was spearheaded by Melissa Stanton, MSN, RN, director of Professional Practice and Nursing Outcomes, who serves as PPMC’s Magnet Program Director, starts with compiling years’ worth of documentation, including nursing satisfaction metrics, patient satisfaction metrics, identifying clinical nurses and nursing leaders, and the metrics behind initiatives at both the hospital and health system level.
Restrictions in place to limit the spread of COVID-19 made it necessary for providers and staff to get creative and develop innovative ways to care for patients, many of which were highlighted in the Magnet document to illustrate the resourcefulness and dedication of staff. For instance, nurses stepped up as “PPE spotters,” to ensure everyone was wearing their personal protective equipment, and wearing it properly to protect against the virus. Nurses also implemented the use of baby monitors to provide constant observation for at-risk patients to ensure their safety while they were in isolation. When “proning” — placing patients in respiratory distress on their stomachs — was identified as a helpful strategy for COVID-19 patients, a team of operating room nurses united to determine best practice and processes for initiating the therapy. Many of these new strategies came about due to the unique circumstances of the pandemic and associated restrictions, but because of their effectiveness, some will be standard processes at PPMC.
While Magnet designation centers around nursing, PPMC’s document also highlighted their inter-professional partnerships and collaborations with other disciplines, including respiratory therapists, dieticians, and physicians.
After submitting an application of intent and spending over two years compiling documentation, the next step is usually for a representative from the ANCC to conduct an on-site visit. However, with COVID-19 restrictions still in place this spring, the visit went virtual, adding the additional complication of video conferencing and other IT logistics.
Luckily, many of the nurses at PPMC were already used to using the BlueJeans platform, since they have been utilizing this communication technology with families and caregivers of patients throughout the pandemic.
After their virtual site visit, the appraiser noted that the process “couldn’t have gone more smoothly,” a testament to the rigorous preparation that went into the Magnet document and site visit.
“Nurses are the link that connects the inter-professional team across the continuum of care — patients, clinicians, families, and other staff. Their work is always essential and should always be highlighted, but after their dedication during the pandemic, we couldn’t be more proud of our Magnet designation,” said Jim Ballinghoff, DNP, MBA, RN, chief nursing officer at PPMC. “Join me in offering some huge congratulations to the team at PPMC!”