Magnet Journey
SHC Striving for its 5th Consecutive Magnet Designation
In 2021 Stanford Health Care (SHC) received its 4th consecutive Magnet Designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and we are working to achieve our 5th.
As a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association (ANA), the ANCC is the world’s largest and most prestigious nurse credentialing organization, working to elevate the profession of nursing.
What Does Magnet Recognition Mean?
Magnet Recognition is a prestigious award developed by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to recognize health care organizations that provide nursing excellence.
Magnet not only recognizes nursing excellence, but also quality patient care and innovations in professional nursing practice. A Magnet hospital provides consumers with the ultimate benchmark to measure the quality of care that they can expect to receive.
The foundation of the Magnet model is composed of elements deemed essential to delivering superior patient care.
These include the quality of nursing leadership, patient outcomes, coordination and collaboration across specialties, and processes for measuring and improving the quality and delivery of care.
Stanford Nursing: Nursing Excellence
Stanford Health Care is proud to be a four-time Magnet-recognized organization, and our journey continues as we strive toward our fifth Magnet redesignation.
The title of "Magnet Nurse" is synonymous with being a "Stanford Nurse," exemplifying the excellence, dedication, and commitment to the highest standards of patient care that define our nursing professional practice.
With over 5,000 nurses at Stanford, our Magnet journey is supported and championed through our Shared Leadership Council (SLC), an organization-wide framework that brings together multi-level nursing and interprofessional leaders.
These leaders, grounded in Jean Watson’s Caring Science Theory, exemplify the Magnet Model's pillars embedded in our Professional Practice Model through collaborative, evidence-based, outcomes-driven practices.
Together, they drive the Stanford Nursing culture of shared excellence and continuous improvement.
The Role of Shared Leadership in the Magnet Journey
At the heart of our Magnet journey is the Shared Leadership Council, which encompasses several vital organization-wide councils:
- UCC (Unit Coordinating Council)
- ACC (Ambulatory Coordinating Council)
- PEC (Practice and Education Council)
- RIC (Research and Innovation Council)
- QIC (Quality Improvement Council)
- MPGD (Magnet Professional Growth and Development Council)
- CC (Coordinating Council)
- ELC (Executive Leadership Council)
- AELC (Ambulatory Executive Leadership Council)
- APP Shared Leadership
- Unit-based Councils
- Service-Line Councils
Each council plays an integral role in supporting our Magnet enculturation and survey readiness, ensuring that our nurses at every level are engaged, informed, and empowered to contribute to our success.
The MPGD, in particular, carries the accountability of coordinating Magnet designation activities and milestones, fostering a culture of excellence that seamlessly integrates Magnet principles into our daily practice, professional development, job satisfaction, and in cultivating a diverse, equitable, inclusive caring community of belonging.
Living the Magnet Culture: Enculturation and Survey Preparedness
Our journey towards redesignation involves more than meeting standards—it is about embedding the Magnet culture into the fabric of Stanford Nursing.
Our Magnet Champions across all levels ensure that our nurses understand and live the values of Magnet excellence every day.
These champions are crucial in preparing for Magnet surveys, guiding their teams through readiness activities, and fostering a workplace culture that is not only prepared but also thriving.
For Stanford Nursing, Magnet represents a collective progressive journey in a professional practice environment with a shared commitment to being the best in becoming better.
A Tradition of Excellence: Showcasing "This is Who We Are"
Stanford Nursing has a longstanding tradition of involving frontline leaders directly in the Magnet survey process.
When appraisers visit, it is our frontline nurses who proudly escort them through our units, sharing firsthand stories of excellence and innovation.
This unique tradition allows our appraisers to experience Stanford's Magnet pride directly from those who drive it.
Through these interactions, our nurses embody the collective vision of providing exemplary patient care, achieving outstanding empirical outcomes, and fostering an environment of job satisfaction and professional growth.
For the Nurses, By the Nurses:
Evidence-based, Outcomes-Driven Initiatives that inspire, engage, empower, and elevate nursing excellence within Stanford and beyond.
At Stanford, our initiatives and action plans are designed for the nurses, by the nurses.
Together, we work to provide the best possible patient experience, supported by a culture of safety, innovation, and empowerment.
Our efforts yield more than just recognition—they result in real improvements in patient outcomes and job satisfaction, grounded in a shared goal to sustain excellence.
As we move toward our fifth Magnet redesignation, we remain steadfast in our commitment to a practice that reflects our core values and the spirit of the Magnet Model.
We are Stanford Nurses, and together, we continue to raise the bar in nursing excellence.
