[kidrn911]

Are you in a hospital that has magnet status? Does it mean anything to you?

The hospital I am at now is a magnet hospital. It is a big joke. Raises are based on extra curriclar activites such as committees, meetings, grand rounds, and the such, it has nothing to do with skill level or commitment.

All I see magnet to be is another ploy hospitals can use to make more $$$. It has nothing to do with nurses.

[cassioo]

My hospital is trying to get magnet status. We are still getting our annual raises but doing the clinical ladders based extra activities, committees, meetings grand rounds, etc.

[snakes]

All magnet status means is that your nursing leaders jumped through the required hoops to pass. This also a very, very co$tly $tatu$ to obtain. We easly spent a couple $100,000. It has NOTHING to do with nursing care. We were supposed to have "private" meetings with the staff who evaluated us but someone from administration was there and wrote down every thing stated. We were also informed that if after all the hard work administration did to prepair for the eval we as staff nurses would regret to the fullest extent. Also only certain staff were allowed to attend, hand picked and tutored by administration. Our education budget has been slashed to near nothing but we are able to send administrative and selected staff all over the country to prepair for obtaining magnet status. We have had our Magnet statis for nearly 2 years and benefits for nurses keep getting worse along with a decline in patient care quality. Magnet status does not attract or retain staff nurses.

[nursinghumor]

I've heard similar complaints. You have to wonder if the "hope" of better recruitment prospects is the main goal in obtaining magnet status.

Supposedly, nurses are drawn to magnet hospitals because of the illusion that nurses are treated better there.

That's not what I'm hearing from the nurses that work there.

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursing.com

[1mg.epi]

My hospital has been attempting to get magnet status, but for some reason the staff just does not care. The management wants nurses to become certified in their fields. There is one problem, the hospital will not assist with the cost. Management wants us to spend our money and time for their status. I DON'T THINK SO!!!!!

[smbrn]

I agree with other writers who feel that Magnet status is a big joke. I work at what was "the only magnet hospital in Connecticut". Large volumes of banners, pamphlets, etc were purchased at what have been great cost only to have to be replaced when Hartford Hospital achieved this same "status". Then they had to buy new banners, pamphlets, etc that say, "the first magnet hospital in Connecticut". Anyone interested in reading the real story about Magnet, the ANA and the ANCC which is making a small fortune off this ridiculous ploy to get working RN's to spend their own hard earned money to benefit the hospital should go to the Massachusetts Nurses Association website and read their position statement in opposition to Magnet. The position was published in Nov. 2004. It will tell you all you need to know about this latest gimmick.