How this small rehab hospital earned Magnet designation

Wheaton, Ill.-based Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital became the 6th freestanding acute rehabilitation hospital to earn Magnet designation Oct. 21.

Gaining the designation took about seven years, the dedication of 150 nurses and support from every clinician in the building.

The hospital started its journey to Magnet designation in 2017, when Anne Hubling, DNP, RN, president of the hospital, joined as the first dedicated chief nurse. She recognized that the Magnet journey would help the hospital build the infrastructure and expectations needed to support nursing excellence and ensure nurses had a voice in the hospital.

"Not only do nurses need to be part of the team, but their professional voice must be heard, because it directly contributes to patient outcomes," she told Becker's.

Dr. Hubling spent the first few years building up the foundation for designation by conducting assessments, evaluating leadership skills and determining if the team had the knowledge base needed. Finding and implementing the right structure was the most difficult hurdle to overcome, she said. 

When she first arrived, Dr. Hubling said that a shared leadership structure was in place, but it wasn't set up for success. After bringing in a consultant, the hospital was able to make the structure thrive. It is now embedded into all disciplines in the hospital, including therapists and pharmacists. 

"We even have an interdisciplinary council where all disciplines collaborate on strategic initiatives," she said.

Momentum picked up over the last three years as the hospital encouraged nurses to embrace research, test new ideas and push for best practices.

"We had to shift mindsets from task-based work to true professional practice," she said.

Nurses were supported by the interdisciplinary team. 

"Our improvement projects and Magnet application stories included pharmacists, therapists, and other disciplines," Dr. Hubling said. "Many times, therapists invited nurses to join their projects, ensuring we met Magnet's interdisciplinary focus. When we celebrated our designation, it wasn't just about nursing—it was about Marianjoy as a whole."

Assessors for the Magnet designation recognized Marionjoy for their clinical outcomes in nurse-sensitive indicators, patient falls, patient engagement scores, nursing satisfaction and nurse certification in rehabilitation nursing. 

But Dr. Hubling said the work isn't done now that they have the designation. Now they are expanding quality improvement initiatives, increasing nurse involvement and shifting from leadership-driven initiatives to staff-driven progress. 

"Our nurses are shaping the future, and that's an exciting place to be," she said.

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