UF Health Shands Hospital receives Magnet recognition
UF Health Shands Hospital has for the third time earned the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s “Magnet” status — the nursing profession’s most prestigious national distinction for excellence.
UF Health Shands Hospital is one of only 19 hospitals in Florida to have been awarded this designation, and one of only 393 hospitals in the world. The list of hospitals that have received the designation three times is a much smaller group — only 71 hospitals have received Magnet recognition three times.
“This recognition shows that our nurses are among the best in the world at what they do — providing patient care,” said Timothy M. Goldfarb, CEO of UF Health Shands.
The committee, led by chair Deb Zimmerman, D.N.P., M.S., R.N., N.E.A.-B.C., chair of the ANCC’s Commission on Magnet Recognition, was impressed by the dedication of the entire UF Health Shands team. They also cited the organization’s strong commitment to its mission, vision and values, focusing on patient care, research and education.
“This is a recognition of your commitment to excellence,” Zimmerman said.
The commission commended Irene Alexaitis, D.N.P., R.N., N.E.A.-B.C., for her leadership at UF Health as well as in the state and national community of nursing. UF Health leadership echoed the commission’s praise.
“Irene has consistently set the standards high for everyone she works with, and this designation reflects the exceptional level of nursing practice that she has galvanized,” said David S. Guzick, M.D., Ph.D., UF senior vice president for health affairs and president of UF Health. “She serves as an example of our entire staff’s commitment to patient-centered care.”
Ed Jimenez, chief operating officer and senior vice president for UF Health Shands Hospital, said “Under Irene’s leadership, the nursing programs have achieved a high level of state and national recognition.”
The ANCC, a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association, developed the Magnet Recognition Program in 1992 to recognize hospitals that provide the best in nursing care and a supportive professional nursing environment. The program is designed to provide customers with a benchmark for measuring quality of care.Magnet hospitals must meet stringent quantitative and qualitative standards that define the quality of nursing practices and patient care. The application process includes comprehensive written documentation, which is validated by site visits.
Magnet status assists in the recruitment of quality nurses, physicians and other health care disciplines. Additionally, patients and families recognize that Magnet facilities provide an exceptional level of quality care.
UF Health Shands Hospital will be honored for its achievement at the ANCC National Magnet Conference in October 2014 in Dallas.