A Model that Supports Discovery and Innovation
5 New Dynamic MAGNET Components

In late 2008, ANCC announced major changes to the organization of the MAGNET Model. These revisions represent the first major changes to the model since the program’s inception which was organized under 14 forces.

The new standards organize the prior 14 Forces under five Model Components: Transformational Leadership; Structural Empowerment; Exemplary Professional Practice; New Knowledge, Innovations, & Improvement, and Empirical Outcomes.

The new components focus much more on patient outcomes, reflecting the reality of how nursing practice impacts and influences care and safety. Empirical outcomes are required to be demonstrated in each of the other four categories.

1. Transformational Leadership

Key Components: Strategic Planning; Advocacy and Influence; Visibility, Accessibility and Communication

Today’s nursing leaders are required to transform their organization’s values, beliefs and behaviors. This requires vision, influence, clinical knowledge and a strong expertise relating to professional nursing practice through:

• Strategic planning-(e.g., Nursing’s mission, vision, and values; results of outcomes from the nursing strategic plan)
• Advocacy and influence--(e.g., how the organization supports leadership development how nurse leaders encourage and reward innovation.)
• Visibility, accessibility, and communication (e.g., how direct care nurses access nurse leaders.)

Examples of Transformational Leadership include: the TJUH nursing shared governance structure which empowers direct care nurses to transform the care environment in staff nurse leadership and resource group councils; staff nurse monthly roundtables with the CNO; staff nurse participation in strategic planning and performance improvement initiatives; and through communication tools such as the MAGNET Moments newsletter.

2. Structural Empowerment

Key Components: Professional Engagement; Commitment to Professional Development; Commitment to Community Involvement; Recognition of Nursing

Solid structures and processes provide an innovative environment where strong professional practice flourishes and where the mission, vision and values come to life to achieve the outcomes believed to be important for the organization. This is achieved through:

• Collaborative relationships with community organizations
• Professional engagement
• Commitment to professional development
• Teaching and role development
• Recognition of nurses by the organization.

Examples of Structural Empowerment at Jefferson include: an emphasis on professional development such as for advanced education and certification supported through generous tuition reimbursement, free continuing education courses, and certification prep courses offered by clinical nurses specialists throughout the institution; input into redesign of patient care units; participation in new Information Technology Nurse Resource Group; professional development through the Nurse Residency Program; and recognition through the annual Nurse Excellence recognition program.

3. Exemplary Professional Practice

Key Components: Professional Practice Model; Care Delivery System; Staff and Scheduling Processes; Interdisciplinary Care; Accountability, Competency and Autonomy; Ethics, Privacy, Security and Confidentiality; Diversity and Workplace Advocacy; Culture of Safety and Quality Care Monitoring and Improvement

The goal of this component is more than the establishment of a strong professional practice; it is what professional practice can achieve. The professional practice model clearly defines and promotes nurses’ autonomy and accountability for nursing practices.

Nurses at Jefferson have input into staffing and scheduling processes and are able to work in collaboration with interdisciplinary partners to achieve high-quality patient outcomes. Nurses at all levels analyze data and use national benchmarks to gain a comparative perspective about their performance and the care patients receive.

Examples of Exemplary Professional Practice include: a staff nurse leadership group focused exclusively on the Quality, Safety, and Outcomes of nursing care, resource groups dedicated to support of cultural diversity, ethical nursing care, and several committed to improvements in patient outcomes around nursing-specific indicators; development of the Care Delivery Model; expertise availability of advanced practice nurses for consultation; and promotion of nurse participation in professional organizations.

4. New Knowledge, Innovation & Improvements

Key Components: Research; Evidence-Based Practice and Innovation

Strong leadership, empowered professionals and exemplary practice are essential building blocks for MAGNET-recognized organizations, but they are not the final goals. MAGNET organizations have an ethical and professional responsibility to contribute to patient care, the organization and the profession in terms of new knowledge, innovations and improvements.

MAGNET organizations conscientiously integrate evidence-based practice and research into clinical and operational processes. Using evidence-based practice, Jefferson nurses are encouraged to design and implement clinical projects that improve nurse-sensitive and patient outcome indicators. In addition, Jefferson staff nurses provide input into policy and procedure development and new program implementation.

Examples of New Knowledge, Innovation & Improvements are: a new Information Technology Nurse Resource Group dedicated to advancing the science of nursing through direct care nursing involvement in the technology that shapes the care environment; development of fall prevention strategies; and a department dedicated to nursing research and empowering nurses at all level to actively participate in research and evidence-based practice activities.

5. Empirical Outcomes

Key Components: Dynamic and defined areas of both improved performance and those requiring additional effort to achieve improvement.

Empirical Outcomes is not a stand-alone component; each of the other components has required elements of outcomes that must be documented. The focus is on results and differences made based on the application of structures and processes on the healthcare team, the organization and systems of care.

Outcomes require a relationship between structure and processes. Outcomes are dynamic, focused on areas of improved performance and those requiring effort to achieve improvement.

MAGNET organizations are expected to lead the way in quality patient care and the creation of environments that contribute to workplace well-being and improving the community at large. It is no longer enough for nurses to articulate what has been done, it is now imperative to answer the question, “What difference has this made?” Empirical Magnet Outcomes seek to quantify the results with concrete examples of how we have positively impacted our patients, hospital, and the profession of nursing. This demonstrates the benefits of a transformational nursing environment, a structure that supports empowered nurses, and one that focuses on research and EBP to provide exemplary care; in short, it demonstrates the benefits of being a Jefferson Nurse!