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| Vol. 24, No. 1 |
| January 15, 2002 |
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Nursing Program Receives Elite Honor by JULIE A. PENNE The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center has joined an elite group of fewer than 45 hospitals in the world, receiving the highest honor in health care for nursing services. On Dec. 20, M.D. Anderson was awarded Magnet Nursing Services Recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. "We already believe we are part of the best nursing in the world," said Dr. John Crossley, vice president for operations and nursing practice and head of the division of Nursing. "Successfully completing the Magnet recognition process now allows our nurses to receive the international recognition they truly deserve." With a national nursing shortage looming, the Magnet recognition is expected to boost the institution’s efforts to attract and retain nurses. Despite a staff of approximately 1,600 registered nurses, several hundred additional nurses will be needed over the next few years as M.D. Anderson anticipates accepting an increasing number of patients to meet soaring demands for research-based cancer care services. "Not only are we recruiting new nurses more aggressively, but we also are doing more to retain our existing staff by expanding professional development opportunities and providing other important incentives, including great salary and benefits packages," said Dr. Crossley, who is also a registered nurse. Initiatives to attract and retain nurses include five professional practice governance councils staffed primarily with frontline nurses, which define and maintain nursing practice standards, and a structured professional development program. There is also a mentoring program for newly hired patient care nurses. M.D. Anderson’s 1,600 registered nurses comprise almost 15 percent of the institution’s total workforce. Approximately 10 percent of the institution’s nurses are male. About 225 licensed vocational nurses and hospital aides also assist professional nurses across the patient care spectrum. The American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet program began in the early 1980s following a study that revealed 14 characteristics of hospitals that successfully attracted and retained nurses. Hospitals that met these 14 characteristics became known as Magnet hospitals. The study was repeated in 1986, 1989, 1991 and 2000. The distinguishing organizational features endured. Magnet status requires ongoing monitoring of standards and is valid for four years, after which recipients must reapply.
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