Overview
Cleveland Clinic Akron General is proud to have received the nursing profession’s highest honor, the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet® Recognition. Magnet Recognition® provides the ultimate benchmark for patients, their families, and our community to measure the quality of care they can expect.
What is Magnet Designation?
To achieve and maintain Magnet recognition, organizations are evaluated utilizing the Magnet Model framework which identifies excellence in the delivery of nursing services to patients; promotes quality in a setting that supports professional practice; and disseminates “best practices” in nursing services. Cleveland Clinic Akron General is dedicated to exhibiting this commitment to excellence.
What is the Magnet Model?
Magnet organizations are guided by the Core Values of Magnet which align with the five model components of Transformational Leadership, Structural Empowerment, Exemplary Professional Practice, New Knowledge, Innovations, & Improvements and Empirical Outcomes.
Transformational Leadership
Nursing transformational leadership is a purpose driven approach in which nurse leaders create and communicate a shared vision that provides meaning and inspiration; and helps shape and guide what a nursing body is, what it does, and why it does it.
Strategic Planning
Caregivers are included in the development of the shared vision and strategic plan. The nursing strategic plan is developed and aligned with the Cleveland Clinic Akron General mission and plans.
Advocacy
Once the shared vision and strategic plan is identified, advocacy efforts (processes that can lead to change through skillful use of influence, problem solving, communication, and collaboration) that meet the needs of patients, the nursing profession, and caregivers are established with S.M.A.R.T. Goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely).
Influence
Shared Governance Structures and performance improvement teams are utilized to ensure that clinical nurses have a voice in considering what ultimately is best for the patient or population served. Within a transformational environment, caregivers are empowered to think creatively (outside of the box) to embrace proactive, valuable and positive change. Nurse leaders use advocacy and influence to acquire resources to operationalize established objectives, goals and strategies.
Communication
Nurse leaders advocate for patients, the nursing profession, and caregivers by being visible, accessible and communicating effectively in an atmosphere of mutual respect so that nurses’ voices, at all levels, are heard; the input valued, and their practice supported.
Support
Nurse leaders engage others with a supportive work culture and environment; motivating with a collaborative spirit of optimism and enthusiasm; helping caregivers do things they weren’t sure they could do by giving encouragement and praise; and ensuring access to information, resources, and support needed to attain empowerment, exemplary professional practice, new knowledge, and outcomes.
Structural Empowerment
Embodying the qualities of a professional nurse requires a full understanding of the professional role and the obligation to make a positive contribution to the lives of individuals and communities. Cleveland Clinic Akron General nurses have created a culture in which clinical inquiry is valued, appreciative inquiry is encouraged, professional growth is expected, and recognition is an essential part of our professional identity.
Professional Engagement
Nurse leaders nurture participation in professional organizations in order to encourage fully embracing professional practice. Proactive work needed to maintain a healthy profession fosters high standards, encourages creative work, and gives caregivers the opportunity to stay up-to-date and/or informed regarding issues that matter in a specialty area and/or the profession. Evidence-based practice standards, scholarly manuscripts, educational offerings and conferences support the latest advanced knowledge. Belonging and networking gives caregivers a sense of community and belonging to a greater whole which builds pride in the profession. The collaboration and partnership empowers caregivers to move the profession forward, to limit barriers to practice and gives a political voice to issues that directly affect the advancement of the profession. Ultimately, professional engagement bolsters the capacity of caregivers to serve Akron General, the profession and society.
Commitment to Professional Development
Akron General cultivates an atmosphere of continuous professional development, with internal, enterprise, and external learning opportunities in the areas of leadership, communication, clinical competency, continuing education, academic advancement, specialty certification, and overall professional growth and development. Development is supported by core nursing professional development specialists in the Nursing Professional Development Department.
Academic Advancement
Akron General hires the best and brightest professionals to help us achieve our mission to advance health for the patients and communities we serve. More than 80 percent of Akron General’s clinical nurses hold a bachelor’s or higher degree. Advanced credentials are encouraged, promoted and recognized. Along with progressive compensation programs and benefits, Akron General offers educational assistance that can expand the professional possibilities of Registered Nurses.
Caregivers who currently do not hold a nursing degree and wish to pursue a nursing career are supported in their efforts through tuition reimbursement, nursing scholarship opportunities and flexible work scheduling.
Professional Certification
Akron General encourages, supports and rewards national board certification for all nurses in the organization. Certification benefits both the patient and the professional nurse by influencing the delivery of optimal patient care.
Nurses achieve specialty certification credentials in a nursing specialty through the voluntary completion of standards identified by an independent accredited nursing specialty organization; generally including: specialized education, experience in specialty nursing practice, and the successful completion of a qualifying exam or portfolio.
A Registered Nurse obtaining certification in their nursing specialty is eligible for a lump sum bonus for successful completion of national certification. Registered Nurses obtaining multiple certifications within their scope of the specialty are eligible for reimbursement of exam fees. A Registered Nurse obtaining recertification in the nursing specialty is eligible for reimbursement of renewal fees.
Certification preparation courses, coaching and peer support is facilitated through the Nursing Professional Development Department.
Career Ladder
The Career Ladder for Registered Nurses is a voluntary program which provides a flexible menu of options designed to recognize and reward clinical nurses who demonstrate exemplary professional practice, leadership, shared-decision making and evidence-based nursing care within a relationship-based care framework. The program is designed to assist the clinical nurse to pursue ongoing professional career advancement with generous compensation as they advance; strengthen the professional practice environment; promote innovation; and enhance the patient-centered experience and clinical outcomes.
Teaching and Role Development
Nurses foster the professional development of colleagues and students through both formal and informal teaching activities that include precepting, mentoring and instruction.
Preceptorships
Precepting is vital to promoting the competence, familiarity, confidence, and security of new nurses in a new environment. Akron General is committed to demonstrating best practices in developing the communication skills of preceptors with preceptees; using effective, individualized learning plans; and providing constructive feedback and evaluation as part of the onboarding process. Formalized preceptor education prepares preceptors not only as socializers of new nurses into the environment or profession, but also as guardians of patient safety and quality care.
Linkages are also developed between health care institutions and baccalaureate/graduate schools of nursing to provide support for clinical educational affiliations.
Mentorship
Akron General encourages formal mentorship through an established “matching” program which connects our new graduate nurses beginning their career or those nurses changing specialties who desire guidance, support, and/or encouragement from an experienced nurse who is willing to act as a collaborative partner to role model and motivate; provide support, help, enthusiasm, inspiration and nurturing for a three to twelve month period.
Instruction and Education
Instruction and curriculum for orientation, training, and annual competency programs are evidence-based and continually evaluated and improved. Akron General is an approved provider of Continuing Nursing Education.
Development is supported by core nursing professional development specialists in the Nursing Professional Development Department with the goal of improving access to information, as well as knowledge and understanding of the organization; resources; the opportunity to learn and develop; and support.
Commitment to Community Involvement
Akron General is committed to supporting health initiatives and building a community culture of health. We have a tradition of engaging in active relationships and partnerships which support access to means and opportunities for community members and vulnerable populations to make choices and receive services, which lead to healthy lifestyles and optimal well-being and functioning.
Nurses are encouraged and supported to give back to the community through financial contributions, volunteer hours and leadership roles on boards and councils with a focus on access to care, prevention and screening services, health education classes, support groups and chronic condition management.
Additionally, nurses are fostered to influence professional nursing practice within the profession, organization, and community through participation and leadership in their professional organizations and associations. Involvement in professional organizations contributes to the accountability and voice of the nursing profession to society by increasing visibility for the populations’ nurses serve and their issues; advocating for what is known to be effective in promoting health; and progressing the interests of nurses and thus improving care and health outcomes for patients, families and communities.
Recognition of Nursing
Akron General takes great pride in celebrating nursing excellence and recognizing caregiver colleagues whose outstanding contributions serve as a model for us all. Meaningful recognition allows a focus on "what is right." Publicly honoring the work of nurses reinforces those actions and behaviors that patients, families, and colleagues truly value; and recognizes and honors the accomplishments of our dedicated, compassionate and talented nurses. Formal recognition programs are held in May and November, serving to support professional fulfillment and identity, as well as a thriving professional practice environment of mutual respect and support.
Exemplary Professional Practice
Exemplary professional practice is the hallmark of a culture of excellence, providing a place where professional practice flourishes. Exemplary professional practice is built upon the professional practice model, operational framework, nursing theory, professional standards of practice and performance, governance structure, a comprehensive understanding of the role of the professional nurse, management of resources, culture of safety and continuous improvement, an active cultivation of health and well-being.
Professional Practice Model
The Cleveland Clinic Akron General Professional Practice Model depicts what it means to advance the practice of nursing, every day at Cleveland Clinic Akron General. Because the professional practice model describes our professional values and the healthy environment in which we practice it is featured as the focal point in our Nursing webpages and as the principle guiding aspect of exemplary professional practice at Akron General.
Relationship-Based Care
Akron General utilizes Relationship-Based Care (RBC) as the Operational Framework which supports knowing the patient as a person and holds the partnerships and authentic relationships with patients and families as the core of our work, embracing "Patients First". Exemplary professional practice at Cleveland Clinic Akron General, additionally, embraces active promotion of collegial relationships; recognizing that all members of the healthcare team make essential and meaningful contributions to achieve positive patient/family/community outcomes. Cleveland Clinic Akron General is also committed to the active cultivation of health and well-being of our individual caregivers, in each other, and in our patient/family/community.
Nursing Theory
Nursing theory depicts the art and the science of nursing and gives nurses a sense of identity, coherence of purpose; and a guide to recognize the unique contribution that nurses make. At Cleveland Clinic Akron General, caring is considered to be the central tenet and unifying focus of nursing. To represent the caring purpose, Jean Watson's Theory of Caring has been adopted as our inspirational influence and Kristen Swanson's Caring Theory processes serve to inform and operationalize the performance of caring.
Application of Professional Standards
Application of professional standards of practice and performance is imperative for exemplary professional practice and as such, Cleveland Clinic Akron General's nursing practice is aligned with the following:
- Ohio Nurse Practice Act
- American Nurses Association (ANA) Scope and Standards of Practice
- ANCC Magnet Standards
The profession nurse has authority, accountability, and responsibility for autonomous nursing practice; applies the nursing process, a clinical decision-making and problem solving approach comprised of: assessment, nursing diagnoses, outcome planning, implementation of nursing interventions and evaluation to make decisions; and take action consistent with the obligation to promote health and to provide optimal care within the full scope of practice.
- Authority: The recognition of ethical duty, commitment and right to apply our nursing knowledge, skills, and judgments; formulated to produce high-quality outcomes for our patients.
- Accountability: To be answerable for one's nursing judgments, actions and omissions. Accountability requires maintaining competency and safeguarding quality patient care outcomes and standards of the profession. This accountability extends to situations in which the nurse delegates duties to a colleague or subordinate.
- Responsibility: The obligation to perform roles, duties, or tasks using sound professional judgment.
- Autonomy: The ability to act according to one's knowledge and judgment, providing nursing care within the full scope of practice as defined by existing professional, regulatory, and organizational rules.
Nurse autonomy is supported and promoted through the Cleveland Clinic Akron General's governance structure for shared decision-making. Because the Cleveland Clinic Akron General's operational framework, Relationship-Based Care (RBC) focuses on three caring & healing relationships: (1) relationship with patient/family; (2) relationship with colleagues; and (3) relationship with self; the council structure is aligned with these caring relationships to influence a flourishing professional practice consistent with values of a caring and a healing health care environment in which humane, compassionate, and competent care is at the heart of every action with every person, every time.
Nurses at all levels are accountable to manage resources and productivity effectively and in a timely manner, to compensate for changes in patient acuity, patient population, resources, or redesign of care; recognizing that care is driven by the realities of the available resources; preserving continuity of care; and redesigning work flow or work space to effect operational improvement, waste reduction, or clinical efficiency. Cleveland Clinic Akron General approaches management of resources with the belief that there is always enough for all of us to spare, share, and thrive.
Creating a Culture of Safety, Quality Monitoring & Continuous Improvement
The achievement of exemplary professional practice is grounded in a culture of safety, quality monitoring, and continuous improvement directed at improving clinical outcomes and patient experiences. Cleveland Clinic Akron General leaders actively support quality and patient safety in a Just Culture environment, placing a high priority on improving patient care processes.
- Cleveland Clinic Akron General reports and benchmarks nursing-sensitive structure, process and outcomes measures which monitor relationships between quality indicators and outcomes, including hospital-acquired conditions and adverse events; including, but not limited to pressure injury, falls with injury, catheter-associated urinary tract infection, and central line-associated blood stream infection using a nationally recognized nursing database the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI).
- Cleveland Clinic Akron General's continuous improvement focuses on right systems, right behaviors, for right results by identifying and communicating what matters most; managing what matters most; improving what matters most; and sustaining what matters most; making continuous improvement part of daily work.
- Cleveland Clinic Akron General Just Culture includes open communication and transparency regarding system failures with a values-supportive model of shared accountability; and a no-blame, non-punitive response to adverse events. Concurrently, integrity is expected in individual and collective performance, resulting in excellent service.
Cleveland Clinic Akron General is committed to the active cultivation of health and well-being in ourselves, in each other, and in our patients. We encourage and support each other and our patients to flourish by actively practicing self-care and by actively balancing our personal and professional lives.
New Knowledge, Innovations & Improvements
Cleveland Clinic Akron General focuses not just on improving its own performance but also on visibly contributing new knowledge to the science of nursing, conscientiously integrating evidence-based practice and research into clinical and operational processes; and fostering creativity and innovation by:
- Promoting a willingness to listen and encouraging calculated risk-taking
- Disseminating knowledge generated through nursing research to internal and external audiences
- Instilling the differentiation of research, evidence-based practice, and continuous improvement into change practices or problem-solving approaches
- Affording mentoring for research and evidence-based practice
- Fostering nurses at all levels to evaluate and use published research findings in their practice
- Cultivating new approaches, technologies and ways of working through dedicated work time for problem solving
Outcomes
Empirical outcomes is not a "stand-alone" component, with empirical outcomes being found in each of the Magnet Components of Transformational Leadership, Structural Empowerment, Exemplary Professional Practice, and New Knowledge, Innovations, Improvements. Sources of evidence or exemplary examples of nursing practice and empirical outcomes, exemplary examples of nursing practice with measurable data presented in graph format demonstrate not "What we do" or "How we do it" but rather, "What difference we have made." This quantitative and qualitative evidence related to the impact of structure and process on Cleveland Clinic Akron General's patients, nursing workforce, organization, and consumers is described in electronic communications, annual reports and within designation documents.
