Nurses prepare for re-designation process at 2022 ANCC National Magnet Conference

The American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program® recognizes healthcare organizations for quality patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice. Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital first earned Magnet designation in 2019, its interim monitoring report was accepted and met standards for excellence in September of 2021 and now the Department of Nursing is preparing for the re-designation process in 2023. This fall, seven representatives from the hospital attended the ANCC National Magnet Conference® in Philadelphia to learn about innovations other hospitals have undertaken to improve their practice environments and prepare for the re-designation process.

Among the delegates from BWFH were Cori Loescher, MM, BSN, RN, NEA-BC, Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Patient Care Services, Estier Sayegh, MBA, BSN, RN, CNRN, PCCN, CCRN, Nurse Director for the ICU, Dialysis and Respiratory, Susan Belton, MSN, BS, RN, CNL, Professional Development Manager for 6 North and 7 North, Amanda Sykes, BSN, RN, from 7 North, Gail Vaughn, BSN, RN, PMGT-BC, from the Pain Management Center, Anne Marie Cecala, BSN, RN, HNB-BC, from 6 South, and Rose LaPlante, MBA, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, Program Manager for Nursing Quality and Magnet.

Between them, the group attended a wide range of sessions where presenters shared new ideas on improving the practice environment, patient experience and staff experience. All seven attended the general sessions, which included keynote addresses from retired United States Air Force officer, speaker and advocate on behalf of patients with tick-borne illnesses Col. Nicole Malachowski, New York Times best-selling author of What Do You Want To Do Before You Die? and a star of the MTV show The Buried Life Ben Nemtin and speaker, success coach, author, television host and philanthropist Simon T. Bailey.

For Sykes, who attended the conference for the first time, the experience was inspiring. “From hearing the latest research about evidence-based practice, to celebrating nurses' accomplishments in improving patient care, to creating a bond with fellow nurses, the entire conference radiated a sense of progress,” she says. “I am deeply grateful to have been able to attend such an empowering event and look forward to improving my own practice and care here at BWFH.”

Vaughn, also a first-time attendee, expressed a similar sentiment. “I was honored to attend the ANCC National Magnet Conference with my peers from BWFH,” she says. “It was an exciting and inspirational experience learning about evidence-based practice and how to support our fellow nurses in challenging times. It was also a chance to meet peers from other departments at BWFH that I may not have had an opportunity to connect with before.”

Ultimately, the three-day conference served as an opportunity for the team to assess their efforts thus far in the re-designation process and plan for the work that still needs to be done. LaPlante explains, “We submitted our application for re-designation this past August and, in September, the Magnet Office accepted our application. All of the documentation to support Magnet redesignation is due by August 1, 2023. Magnet designation is awarded to hospitals meeting standards of excellence. We’ll be submitting over 100 Sources of Evidence, including narratives and graphed outcome data. It’s a lot of work, but I am confident we will represent the hospital and our department well in our Sources of Evidence.”

Watch highlights from the 2022 ANCC National Magnet Conference here.

Published 11/17/22