Bassett Healthcare receives nursing honor
'Magnet' award recognition like a 'gold medal' to staff
Thu, Feb 19, 2004

MELISSA A. CHADWICK
Observer-Dispatch

COOPERSTOWN -- The staff at Bassett Healthcare erupted in joy recently when President and CEO William Streck announced that Bassett received the Magnet Recognition for Excellence award from the American Nurses Association.

"Instantly people were smiling everywhere," Chief Nursing Officer Connie Jastremski said Wednesday.

Achieving Magnet status is a two-year process that is "like getting the gold medal in the Olympics," said Laura Leeds, Vice President of Workforce for the Healthcare Association of New York state. "It's the highest nursing service award a hospital can obtain."

The term "Magnet hospital" was originally given to a group of hospitals during the nursing shortage of the early 1980s that successfully recruited and retained nurses, according to the American Nurses Credentialing Center, a division of the American Nurses Association that awards the honor.

One of few honored

Bassett Healthcare, which employs 2,500 people, is the fifth hospital in the state to achieve Magnet status. It joins St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center in Syracuse, North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, and the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan.

At Bassett Healthcare-Herkimer, several nurses wore buttons that read "Congratulations Bassett Healthcare, a Magnet hospital."

Sandra LaPera, a licensed practical nurse who has worked at Bassett for nine years, said the national recognition made her feel good about her workplace.

"To me, it's one of the highest levels any hospital or clinic can get," LaPera said. "I'm very proud of it. We're all very excited about it."

LaPera was working with patient Louise Looman, who was there for a follow-up appointment. Looman said she has always been confident in the care she received at the Herkimer center.

"I've always felt good here," Looman said. "But I'm glad to hear this good news."

Licensed practical nurse Robert Smith said Bassett has challenged him as a provider in the 15 years he has worked there.

"It means Bassett offers a lot more opportunity. You can go as far as you can push yourself, if you ask," he said.

Costly to apply

Applying for Magnet status is a costly process. Bassett spent about $30,000 on fees which included the application and money for site visits, Jastremski said.

The process is built around 14 criteria that a hospital nursing service has to meet, Jastremski said.

Eleven commissioners review each hospitals' application -- in Bassett's case it was compiled in five 3-inch thick binders of documents -- and the commission determines if the hospital is eligible for the award. Bassett started the process in January 2002, submitted its application in May 2003, and two representatives of the American Nurses Credentialing Center visited Bassett in December, Jastremski said.

Those representatives met with Bassett staff, physicians, patients and families.

The assessment examines issues such as how many employees have bachelor's degrees, how involved staff are in decision making, how often errors are made and what kind of errors, and if a member of the nursing staff is at the executive level at the hospital.

"A lot of it has to do with the culture of the facility. do the nurses feel valued, through salary, recognition programs," Jastremski said.

Magnet hospitals demonstrate the following, according to the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

* Higher levels of patient satisfaction.

* Better patient outcomes.

* Higher levels of nurse satisfaction.

* Significantly higher nurse-appraised quality of care.

"Nurses love to work at magnet hospitals because nursing leadership and the respect for nurses is very out in the open. Nursing decisions are respected by the doctors and other staff members because they work toward improving that relationship," Leeds said. "It improves recruitment and retention."

Bassett's nurse vacancy rate is 4.3 percent, much lower than the national average of about 14 percent.

Magnet status hospitals are re-evaluated every four years.

"It really recognizes the whole hospital because nursing doesn't work in a vacuum," Jastremski said.