KHI News Service
KANSAS CITY, Kan., Dec. 20
Nurses at the University of Kansas Hospital were told today that the hospital was awarded “magnet” certification by the American Nurses” Credentialing Center, a branch of the American Nurses Association.
Only 3.5 percent of health care organizations are “magnets,” KU Hospital officials said, making theirs the first in Kansas to receive the designation, which comes from meeting 150 nursing standards.
Magnet designation means a hospital outperforms others and is statistically proven to have higher quality care, lower mortality, significantly higher levels of patient satisfaction; above-average salaries and strong nurse recruitment and retention.
Suzanne Shaffer, RN, and the assistant director and coordinator for the magnet activities at the hospital, said the designation culminated many months of work.
“It takes a commitment at all levels of an organization to pursue magnet designation. Achieving it proves our commitment to excellent patient care and outcomes,” she said.
The hospital began pursuing the designation in 2002.