UAB Hospital, which includes UAB Highlands Hospital and UAB’s outpatient clinics, was granted recognition as a Magnet-designated organization today for the fifth consecutive time by the American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet Recognition Program®. UAB Hospital is only the 21st hospital worldwide to receive this designation five consecutive times.
The American Nurses Credentialing Center honor is the most prestigious designation a health care organization can receive for excellence in nursing and patient outcomes. “The Magnet designation is the highest international honor that nursing can receive,” said Terri Poe, DNP, chief nursing officer of UAB Hospital. “I truly believe that, at UAB, nursing encompasses all the people who work at the bedside, as well as all those on our professional team who are with us on the journey to provide the highest-quality safe-patient care. Gaining this honor for the fifth time is truly a remarkable achievement that demonstrates the culture of professional nursing practice standards and interprofessional collaboration at UAB.”
UAB Hospital is the only hospital in Alabama designated a Magnet organization and one of only 505 worldwide. It was first designated in 2002, and then again in 2006, 2011 and 2015. The 2019 recognition ensures Magnet designation through 2024.
UAB earned this designation following a rigorous review of the facility and its various programs. During the past four years, UAB has encouraged and enabled nurses to participate in the decision-making process regarding safety and patient care in their units. This increased input has led to a number of nurse-driven improvements and innovations, which has contributed to recognition nationally by a number of organizations, including Becker’s Hospital Review.
Magnet recognition has become the gold standard for nursing excellence and is taken into consideration when the public judges health care organizations. U.S. News & World Report’s annual showcase of “America’s Best Hospitals” includes Magnet recognition in its ranking criteria for quality of inpatient care.
Magnet re-designation is a rigorous process that becomes more difficult with each consecutive four-year application. To be re-designated as a Magnet organization, a hospital must provide documented evidence of how Magnet concepts, performance and quality were sustained and improved over the four-year period since the hospital received its last recognition. If there is strong written evidence, then an on-site review is conducted by Magnet appraisers.