POLICY: The Magnet Recognition Programme
A discussion of its development, success and challenges for adoption in the UK
What the present evidence on Magnet seems to reinforce is that the dynamic between patient outcomes and factors affecting the nursing workforce is a highly fluid mix beholden to unique national and local conditions.
The interaction of these is difficult to understand and so it seems reasonable to assume that while Magnet’s structure has certainly advanced these qualities within the US context and for some healthcare providers overseas, greater flexibility is needed if this is to be replicated more widely in non-US care settings.
Further research linking Magnet to consistent improvements across care settings and better working environments for nurses in the US would be especially valuable - and it is entirely possible that the RN4CAST’s current focus on the US will discover such a link.
This is important because as the NHS continues to struggle with financial pressures in the short term, the adoption of any Magnet approach will need to evidence viable, measurable outcomes in order to justify the significant financial cost for achieving and sustaining this type of award.
For further information, please email papa.ukintl.dept@rcn.org.uk
Page last updated - 23/03/2017