Chester County Hospital, West Chester, Pa., achieved Magnet recognition Nov. 20 based on its nursing professionalism, teamwork and patient care, according to a news release. Part of Penn Medicine, CCH joins a select group of 404 healthcare organizations worldwide to achieve this designation. Of U.S. hospitals, 7% are Magnet recognized, according to the release.
?One of my goals when I first started here eight years ago was for our nurses and the hospital to achieve Magnet recognition,? CNO Angela Coladonato, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, said in the release. ?We took the time to put the building blocks in place to get to this point, and now we can say we have demonstrated superior excellence in nursing. When you are a patient in a Magnet hospital, you?re in a place with a proven commitment to improving quality, safety and patient satisfaction, and never accepting the status quo.?
Magnet status reflects nursing excellence and is taken into consideration when the public judges healthcare organizations, according to the release. To achieve Magnet status through the American Nurses Credentialing Center?s Magnet Recognition Program, the hospital passed a rigorous, lengthy process. The process required widespread participation from leadership and front-line nurses. CCH submitted more than 3,000 pages of documentation written by a nursing team, and Magnet surveyors also conducted an onsite visit. Magnet recognition requires a hospital to have a CNO accessible to direct care nurses, support community education and be innovative in nursing practice, according to the release.
According to the release, Deb Zimmerman, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, chairwoman of the Commission on Magnet, told hospital officials in a conference call: ?You have a culture that should be bottled and sold to others. We love that you are dedicated to the population of Pennsylvania and beyond. You truly are an amazing organization.?
