Edward Hospital's nurses awarded top 'magnet' status
The 1,200 nurses at Edward Hospital in Naperville did some celebrating Friday after learning their hospital received magnet status for the third time from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
It's a major honor in the nursing world, said Patti Ludwig-Beymer, vice president and chief nursing officer.
"To be magnet once is exciting, twice is quite an honor, and three times - it's beyond our wildest dreams," Ludwig-Beymer said.
The magnet certification process involved a 3,200-page application and a three-day site visit in October, in which magnet commission representatives spoke with roughly half of Edward's nursing staff and observed every area where nursing work goes on.
Ludwig-Beymer said hospitals must show excellence in four areas to achieve magnet status: leadership, structural empowerment, clinical care and innovation.
Edward nurses specifically were recognized for their innovation and work to advance nursing research. Deborah Zimmerman, who informed about 100 nurses of the magnet status via conference call Friday, said the hospital's practice of involving patients, family members and nearby residents as part of a large advisory committee is an innovative way of getting to know the community.
"You are an organization that is dedicated to excellence, always setting the bar higher," said Zimmerman, chairwoman of the magnet commission for the nurses credentialing center. "Most important, you are dedicated to the patients that you serve."
Ludwig-Beymer said she was especially proud of the honor for advancing nursing research. Edward nurses participate in between 10 and 12 studies a year, and last year, their research was published in four medical journals. One recent study evaluated pain during certain procedures on pediatric patients and the hospital's practice of using a numbing machine before starting an IV in children.
Zimmerman said Edward is one of 37 nursing magnet hospitals in Illinois, after first being designated in 2005 and redesignated in 2010. The honor puts Edward in elite company, said Pam Davis, CEO of Edward-Elmhurst Healthcare, as only 7 percent of the nation's 4,000 hospitals are recognized as magnet centers for nursing.
"It highlights the incredible quality and innovation of our nursing staff," Davis said.
The redesignation comes as Edward is launching its new "Healthy Driven" campaign featuring spokeswoman and professional race car driver Danica Patrick. Davis said the campaign and the nursing magnet status both reflect the hospital's practices of enthusiasm and commitment to helping patients maintain good health.
Before nurses celebrated their magnet status with healthy foods like the mini clementines called "Cuties," Ludwig-Beyer offered one more summary of the honor.
"To nurses, it means top honors," she said. "To patients, it means great care."