Final
Discussion of Magnet Hospitals
HEALTH CARE TASK FORCE
Votes:
Action Taken:
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10:52 AM -- Discussion of Magnet Hospitals in Colorado
Colleen Goode, Vice-President and Chief Nursing Officer, University of Colorado Hospital, provided some history about magnet hospitals. She distributed a handout that summarizes her presentation (Attachment L). She discussed the characteristics of a magnet hospital and talked about how magnet hospitals are credentialed. She stated that her hospital has a new nursing residency program and that they are talking to the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare to seek funding similar to what the medical residency programs receive. She discussed some work site programs that allow University Hospital employees to go back to school with some financial help from a Department of Labor grant that pays their salary for one day a week in class. The classes are taught on-site unless it is a lab class that must be taught at the college, and about 20-25 nurses each year participate in this program. Ms. Goode talked about the importance of nurses having bachelor of science degrees since a BSN is required to get a master's and since a master's is required to teach in both 2- and 4-year schools of nursing.
Kelly Johnson, Vice-President, Patient Care Services, Craig Hospital, discussed Craig Hospital's role and the fact that Craig just received its magnet status in August 2005. She provided a copy of her presentation (Attachment M) and discussed the what being a magnet facility entails including: quality of nursing leadership, organizational structure, management style, personnel policies and programs (for example competitive salaries and benefits and fixed schedules), professional models of care, quality of care, quality improvement, consultation and resources, autonomy, community and the health care organization, nurses as teachers, image of nursing, interdisciplinary relationships, and professional development.