Northwestern Medicine Kish and Valley West hospital staff receive highest national honor for nursing

DeKALB - Nursing staff at Northwestern Medicine’s Kishwaukee and Valley West hospitals recently were awarded the Magnet Recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

According to a news release from Northwestern Medicine, the Magnet Recognition Program distinguishes health care organizations that meet rigorous standards for nursing excellence. The credential is the highest national honor for professional nursing practice, of which only 9% of all hospitals nationwide have earned, according to the release.

“Achieving Magnet designation is tangible evidence of our ‘patients first’ mission and demonstrates we are achieving our promise to deliver world class care to the patients and families of DeKalb County,” said Jay Anderson, president of Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital and Northwestern Medicine Valley West Hospital in a statement.

Magnet Recognition is proof of a hard-earned commitment to excellence in health care, delivered by nurses who are supported to be the best they can be, health officials said in the release.

Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital and Northwestern Medicine Valley West Hospital received 10 exemplars, or examples of best practice, in areas which highlight excellence in patient satisfaction and preventing patient harm.

“This moment is a culmination of many years of effort and is also a beginning. It is the first of many destinations on our nursing excellence journey,” said Corinne Haviley, PhD, MS, RN, vice president and chief nurse executive at Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital and Northwestern Medicine Valley West Hospital. “We have developed an extraordinary level of teamwork that transcends individual departments, professional disciplines and even the 25 miles that separate our campuses.”

Research demonstrates that Magnet Recognition provides specific benefits to health care organizations and their communities, including higher patient satisfaction, lower mortality risk and higher job satisfaction among nurses.

Magnet Recognition is the gold standard for nursing excellence, the release states. To achieve Magnet Recognition, organizations must pass a rigorous and lengthy process which demands widespread participation from leadership and staff. Delegates from the credentialing center visited Kishwaukee Hospital and Valley West hospital virtually to tour units and departments and interviewed over 300 nurses, staff, physicians and community members.

“To achieve Magnet Recognition, especially during a pandemic, illustrates our deep-rooted commitment to our community,” Haviley said. “We are proud of our nurses and Northwestern Medicine’s relentless quest to be better.”

To learn more about Northwestern Medicine, visit http://news.nm.org/about-northwestern-medicine.html.