Cook Children’s Medical Center has achieved its fourth consecutive Magnet designation from the American Nursing Credentialing Center.
According to Cook Children’s, the medical center is one of only 10 freestanding children’s hospitals in the world to receive this recognition four times in a row.
The Magnet Recognition Program is awarded to hospitals who provide nursing excellence and high quality patient outcomes.
Research shows Magnet hospitals have increased patient satisfaction, decreased length of hospitalizations, and lower mortality rates, and above average nurse-satisfaction and retention rates, Cook Children’s said.
“This recognition is another example of the incredible culture of excellence at Cook Children’s,” Nancy Cychol, chief of hospital services and affiliate ventures at Cook Children’s Medical Center, said. “Our nurses go above and beyond every day to elevate the experience for our patients, families, and staff.”
Only 8% of the approximately 6,000 hospitals in the U.S. are Magnet designated, and Cook Children’s is the first freestanding children’s hospital in North Texas to receive its fourth consecutive designation.
Fewer than 1% of hospitals receive Magnet recognition four times in a row, Cook Children’s said.
Hospitals must re-apply for the designation every four years.
Cook Children’s has been recognized consistently since 2006.
To be considered for the Magnet designation, Cook Children’s said the hospital provided more than 100 examples of nursing excellence, participation from nursing staff across nearly 70 departments, and an onsite visit that occurred virtually due to COVID-19.
According to Cook Children’s, evaluators were impressed with Cook Children’s competitive nurse residency program, outpatient clinics, and Heart Center.
“It’s important to realize that every single example of nursing excellence provided to the ANCC was above the call of duty. These were programs, processes, and curriculum developed by nurses to move the needle on quality and safety outcomes,” Cheryl Petersen, chief nursing officer at Cook Children’s, said. “This is what sets Magnet® hospitals apart from other hospitals. It is acknowledgment of forward-thinking innovation, research, and high-level training. We are so proud of what our nurses continue to achieve.”
