Excela granted Magnet status for nursing care

Nurses at Excela Health System facilities now can count themselves among a small percentage nationwide who work at institutions that have earned the Magnet Recognition for nursing care.

Excela officials announced the new designation Wednesday.

Only 505 of the nation’s 6,300 hospitals have achieved the designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center that recognizes institutions meeting rigorous standards for nursing care.

Excela nurses stood out as exemplary for community advocacy, partnering with patients and innovation, said Jeanette R. Ives Erickson, chair of the Commission on Magnet Recognition.

It took years of work to achieve the designation.

“This is a very rigorous process,” Excela Chief Nursing Officer Helen K. Burns said. “You don’t create a magnet culture overnight. We set the vision for this in 2012 and began the true journey in 2014. I am inspired by the unflagging dedication to our patients, the respect shown to their peers through interdisciplinary collaboration, the demonstrated commitment to the highest evidence.”

Excela employs 1,406 registered nurses, including 125 advanced practice RNs, across its three hospitals and various outpatient services and facilities. It is among a small number of institutions that have earned Magnet status system-wide.

According to the American Nurses Credentialing Center, only 35 Pennsylvania hospitals have earned Magnet status. West Penn, UPMC Children’s, UPMC St. Margaret, UPMC Passavant, UPMC Shadyside and UPMC Magee are among the Southwestern Pennsylvania hospitals with the Magnet credential.

The credential lasts for four years. Renewal is contingent upon facilities maintaining the standards the credentialing agency sets out.

While the designation speaks to high quality patient care, it is also a plus for institutions seeking to compete in today’s health care economy. In an era of nursing shortages throughout the northeast, Burns said the Magnet credential is a badge of honor for institutions looking to recruit and retain nurses.

Excela, which provides clinical training for nursing students from Pitt Greensburg, IUP, WCCC, CCAC, Seton Hill and Saint Vincent, has been active in training and recruiting a new generation of nurses. Burns said 44.5% of Excela’s nurses are millennials, a group generally considered to include those born between 1981 and 1996.

“They make up our largest group of nurses now,” Burns said.

“We could not have achieved this prestigious honor without the teamwork of all the departments and services across the system. This designation validates the commitment our entire team has in creating a collaborative environment where everyone works together to improve the quality of care and the patient experience,” Burns said.