YNHHS hospitals prepare to apply for Magnet Recognition

In 2025, three Yale New Haven Health hospitals will apply to the American Nurses Credentialing Center for Magnet Recognition, the highest nursing honor a hospital can receive. YNHH will apply for its fourth Magnet Recognition, Greenwich its third and Bridgeport Hospital its first.

Why is Magnet Recognition important?

Just 9.6 percent of the more than 5,600 hospitals nationwide have earned American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet Recognition, including Greenwich and Yale New Haven hospitals.

“Magnet hospitals demonstrate the safest, highest-quality patient care and exceptional patient outcomes,” said Danielle Burness, RN, YNHH Magnet Program specialist.

“Magnet Recognition is a huge recruitment and retention tool,” said Priscilla Bagatelle, RN, Greenwich Hospital Magnet Program coordinator/Nursing Operations. “It really sets you apart from other organizations.”

In their applications, nurses and nursing leaders must show how their hospitals consistently demonstrate these and other Magnet attributes:

• Exceptional patient care, outcomes and experience
• A senior leadership team that creates the vision for the future and the systems and environment necessary to achieve that vision
• Programs, opportunities and support that help nurses thrive 
• Robust nursing research and innovation and the sharing of both 
• Nurse autonomy, in which frontline nurses are empowered to make decisions about nursing practice and policies. Nursing Professional Governance is an important vehicle for autonomy.

Consistency is key in demonstrating Magnet principles, said Danielle Morton, YNHH Magnet Program specialist. “We’re not just doing the right thing in terms of patient care and nursing practice because of Magnet,” she said. “We’re doing great things consistently. That’s why we get to apply for Magnet Recognition.”

Magnet is so important it’s part of the health system’s Nursing Vision statement: “YNHHS Nursing consistently delivers patient-centered care that is compassionate, culturally sensitive, collaborative and comprehensive. Magnet principles frame our relentless pursuit of excellence to lead the world of nursing.”

Preparing and submitting the Magnet application is a huge effort involving nurses and nursing leaders from inpatient and ambulatory areas throughout the organizations. Physicians and staff from other departments also contribute. 

“The Magnet process is designed to include everybody,” said Danielle Jimenez, RN, Bridgeport Hospital Magnet coordinator. “My role is to gather information, organize the application and help build a culture around Magnet so that people see how the great work they’re doing fits the Magnet framework for excellence.”

Although GH and YNHH have been through the process before, “the ANCC’s Commission on Magnet changes the standards every few years,” said Danielle Huseman-Maratea, RN, YNHH manager, Office of Nursing Excellence.

If a hospital’s application is accepted, the ANCC will send a team of appraisers for a rigorous, multi-day site visit. The visit will include meetings with leaders, discussions with frontline nurses, visits to patient care units and practice sites and other activities. After the appraisal, the ANCC Commission on Magnet will determine whether to grant the hospital Magnet Recognition.

While the Magnet process can be stressful at times, “Magnet helps us to celebrate all that Nursing is doing,” Bagatelle said. “It’s a proud moment.”