Southern Ohio Medical Center

Facts about Magnet

• Southern Ohio Medical Center is the first hospital in the region to achieve the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) highest honor, the Magnet recognition status, recognizing national excellence in nursing.
• Only 4 percent of our nation’s hospitals (275 out of nearly 6,000 US hospitals) have achieved this prestigious designation.
• SOMC is the only Magnet hospital in the region. The closest Magnet hospitals to SOMC are in Columbus, OH, Morgantown, WV, and Lexington, KY.
• The Magnet designation is awarded to select hospitals following an intensive review of documentation, data and clinical practices, followed by lengthy on-site visits.
• To apply for Magnet designation, SOMC submitted nearly 2,000 pages of documentation demonstrating achievements in patient care, nurse satisfaction, quality improvement and nursing research. This was followed by a four-day on-site inspection by Magnet Appraisers that included visits to all patient care areas and interviews with hundreds of nurses, employees, physicians, and community members.
• While recognizing nursing care and quality specifically, Magnet designation is a “seal of approval” of the hospital’s overall quality and culture of empowerment, pride, respect, teamwork and integrity of all staff.
• Statistics show nurses working in Magnet hospitals are more satisfied with their job and the care they provide. Magnet designated hospitals typically have higher rates of staff retention, and lower nurse vacancy rates, even when hospitals in close proximity are experiencing shortages.
• Independent studies show patients who receive care at Magnet hospitals have a shorter length of stay and higher satisfaction rates.
• To nurses, Magnet designation means that SOMC values the contributions and advancement of nursing and provides an environment where nurses can flourish in their profession and have a proven level of excellence in nursing care.
• To physicians, Magnet designation means that SOMC attracts and retains outstanding nurses, dedicated to first-class patient care.
• To community members, Magnet designation means that SOMC is committed to providing the highest quality of care by the most qualified staff.
• Magnet status is awarded to selected hospitals for a four-year period. SOMC’s designation covers 2008-2012. An interim report must be filed every year. A comprehensive renewal application must be completed at the end of each designation period to retain Magnet status.
• The Magnet Recognition Program was developed by the ANCC in 1994 in response to nursing shortages, to recognize health care facilities that provide the very best in professional nursing care.
• The ANCC is a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association and is the largest and most prominent nursing credentialing organization in the US.
• More information about ANCC’s Magnet Recognition Program can be found at www.nursecredentialing.org/magnet

If you are interested in becoming a Magnet nurse, apply online at SOMC.

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