Penn Medicine Chester County Hospital achieves third Magnet® recognition

Penn Medicine Chester County Hospital attained Magnet® recognition for the third consecutive time, which is a testament to its continued dedication to high-quality nursing practice. The American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program® distinguishes health care organizations that meet rigorous standards for nursing excellence. This credential is the highest national honor for professional nursing practice and is effective for four years.

This program distinguishes health care organizations that meet rigorous standards for nursing excellence, and all six of Penn Medicine acute care hospitals are Magnet-designated. This recognition is a testament to each hospital’s continued dedication to high-quality nursing practice. Just 10 percent of U.S. health care organizations out of more than 6,000 U.S. hospitals have achieved Magnet recognition.

“Magnet recognition is a tremendous honor and reflects our commitment to delivering the highest quality of care to this community,” said Rosanna Catania-Venuto, MSN, RN, CNML, Director of Nursing Quality, Professional Practice, and the Magnet program lead at Chester County Hospital. “Our repeated achievement of this credential underscores the foundation of excellence and values that drive our entire staff to strive harder each day to meet the health care needs of the people we serve.”

About Magnet recognition

Research demonstrates that Magnet recognition provides specific benefits to health care organizations and their communities, such as:

• Higher patient satisfaction with nurse communication, availability of help and receipt of discharge information
• Lower risk of 30-day mortality and lower failure to rescue rates
• Higher job satisfaction among nurses
• Lower nurse reports of intentions to leave their positions

The Magnet Model provides a framework for nursing practice, research, and measurement of outcomes. Through this framework, the ANCC evaluates applicants across several components and dimensions to gauge an organization’s nursing excellence.

The foundation of this model comprises various elements deemed essential to delivering superior patient care. These include the quality of nursing leadership and coordination and collaboration across specialties, as well as processes for measuring and improving the quality and delivery of care.

To achieve initial Magnet recognition, organizations must complete a rigorous and lengthy process that demands widespread participation from leadership and staff. This process includes an electronic application, written patient care documentation, an on-site visit, and a review by the Commission on Magnet Recognition.

Health care organizations must reapply for Magnet recognition every four years based on adherence to Magnet concepts and demonstrated improvements in patient care and quality. An organization reapplying for Magnet recognition must provide documented evidence to demonstrate how staff members sustained and improved Magnet concepts, performance, and quality over the four-year period since the organization received its most recent recognition.

In granting their third redesignation, Magnet appraisers commended Chester County Hospital for nine exemplars, or exemplary professional practices, including call-outs related to nurse certification rates, percentage of nurses with a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) or higher degree, and nurse satisfaction results in care coordination, careful listening, and courtesy and respect, in both ambulatory and unit-level units that surpassed the national benchmarks.

“This recognition is only possible due to everyone at Chester County Hospital,” said Angela Coladonato DNP, RN, NEA-BC, Chief Nursing Officer at Chester County Hospital. “Magnet is a nursing award, but it is truly a hospital achievement and requires a true team effort. It is such an honor to be designated for a third time and the staff continues to rise to the occasion and put the safety and quality of our patients first.”