Jordan Hospital: “Magnet” Status Means High Quality Nursing Care

It's not easy for a hospital to achieve “Magnet” status. Jordan Hospital in Plymouth is one of only five hospitals in Massachusetts that currently holds this honor. The other four are: Bay State Medical Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Winchester Hospital.

Carol Dilliplane, RN, MSN, vice president for patient care services and chief nursing officer, feels that achieving magnet status instilled a new culture at Jordan. Five years ago Jordan placed a strong emphasis on “retaining” rather than “recruiting” nurses. Working with nurses and administration, the hospital implemented new strategies to enhance staff morale. Nursing turnover is less than 4 percent annually, and retention for RN's at Jordan is 96 percent.

“We placed a lot of emphasis on increasing and building up our staff education programs,” Dilliplane says, “We have greatly expanded our education programs to make sure there is training for all our nursing staff. At Jordan, staff education happens on all shifts, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We also feel it is very important for nurses to get hands-on training right on the floors where they work.”

In the past, she adds, nursing staff who worked the weekends or nights frequently missed out educational opportunities that occurred during the day shifts. The hospital also offers cross-training programs so that nurses can readily shift to other departments or specializations should staffing shortages or emergencies arise.

According to Dilliplane, the public posting of staffing plans on the Patients First web site has led to more efficient use of staff which in many cases meant that nurses now take care of fewer patients. Better utilization of staff has also eliminated the use of agency nurses. According to Dilliplane, Jordan has not hired agency nurses for the last four years.

She also feels that building the culture that goes along with achieving “magnet” status instills a greater sense of professionalism and purpose to a hospital. The nursing department has created a Professional Nurse Practice Council, run and chaired by nurses, that has had a number of successes such as developing a clinical ladder that details attainable goals for staff to aspire to, and forming professional conduct and behavior guidelines aimed at diffusing and resolving conflicts among staff. These guidelines led to zero tolerance for certain behaviors, enhanced respect, and encouraged all staff to be kinder to each other.

Management has also done its part, Dilliplane believes, by auditing and surveying staff to identify and address problems or concerns that might arise.

“I firmly believe it is the job of management to take better care of our nursing staff,” Dilliplane adds. “I think there will always be areas where we can work together to address concerns that will directly lead to better patient care for everyone who comes to Jordan. All we need to do is to respect and listen to each other to try and see what we can work on and solve together.”