Glen Cove Hospital has achieved Magnet status, the gold standard in nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, one of two Northwell Health hospitals to receive the distinction in the last six months.
The Magnet recognition reflects the highest standards of nursing professionalism, collaboration, teamwork and delivery of superior patient care, distinguishing the 202-bed Cohen Children’s Medical Center as the premier destination for pediatric care in the region. Magnet status has been awarded to about 9 percent of hospitals worldwide, or approximately 547 hospitals.
It is challenging for most hospitals to apply for Magnet recognition due to the ANCC’s demanding educational requirements of the chief nursing officer and other nurse leaders. For organizations that do meet the criteria, it is then necessary for them to benchmark themselves against other hospitals nationally and outperform those benchmarks.
The majority of these benchmarks are in nursing-related clinical indicators (such as falls, pressure ulcers, central line infections, and catheter-associated infections) and in nursing-related patient satisfaction scores (such as courtesy of nurses, the ability of staff to work as a team and sensitivity to personal needs or requests).
Following that, a site visit from the ANCC occurs to determine whether the facility meets the stringent Magnet requirements. Glen Cove Hospital is one of nine Northwell Health hospitals to earn Magnet status.
“Earning Magnet recognition is an incredible accomplishment,” said Kerri Anne Scanlon, executive director of Glen Cove Hospital. “It validates our outstanding level of nursing excellence and the exquisite quality of care we provide to our patients and families. It represents the foundational commitment to our nursing staff to continuously invest in their professional development. Glen Cove pursued Magnet status through two surges of the coronavirus pandemic, which was an extremely difficult time, making this a truly extraordinary hospital achievement.”
The 130-bed Glen Cove Hospital first applied for Magnet distinction in 2018. In January 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the hospital underwent a three-day virtual Magnet site visit.
Despite the complex technological process, the rigorous site visit represented the final phase in achieving Magnet designation, according to Doreen O’Grady, Glen Cove’s associate executive director and chief nursing officer.
“The appraisers review documentation of three key empirical outcomes; patient satisfaction, nursing clinical indicators of performance such as hospital-acquired infections, pressure injuries, falls and nurse satisfaction. This information is benchmarked against other hospitals nationally,” O’Grady said. “During the site visit, appraisers from the ANCC conduct staff interviews to help validate their involvement in nursing research, ongoing education and innovative patient care initiatives. “Our nurses are phenomenal, and I’ve never been more proud of our entire nursing team.”
Northwell President and CEO Michael J. Dowling said in a statement that the honor was “a true testament to Glen Cove nurses’ dedication, expertise, innovation and compassion.”
“Glen Cove’s nurses are at the forefront of their profession and are well-prepared to care for their communities in the future as already demonstrated through the coronavirus public health crisis,” Dowling said.
“This is a very special hospital, unlike any that I’ve ever worked in,” Scanlon said. “It is a family, an exceptional facility and nursing is a driving force and infrastructure that is tied to the interprofessional collaboration that raises the bar for patient care here.”
Once achieved, a Magnet designation is awarded for four years. At that time, Glen Cove Hospital will be eligible to reapply upon fulfillment of the current designation.
