Hospital's Magnet Designation Recognizes Quality Training For Baylor Nurses

by Judy Long

The training environment for Baylor University's Louise Herrington School of Nursing has earned distinction as one of the nation's highest quality work places for nurses. Baylor University Medical Center (BUMC) in Dallas received notification in January they have been selected for the Magnet Recognition Program by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
"What it means for students in the School of Nursing is they get to work in an environment where the best nursing practices are used, professionalism is highly valued and cutting-edge research is being done -- the ultimate learning environment for them," said Dr. Judy Wright Lott, dean of Baylor's Louise Herrington School of Nursing.
The Magnet Recognition Program was developed by the ANCC to recognize health care organizations that provide the very best in nursing care and uphold the tradition within nursing of professional nursing practice. The program also provides a vehicle for disseminating successful practices and strategies among nursing systems.
Lott said it is a major accomplishment for a health system as large as BUMC to be recognized. "It also represents opportunities for our faculty and nursing staff at the Medical Center to collaborate on research and educational projects.
"One criterion for selection of magnet hospitals is active research conducted by nursing staff. The medical center and the School of Nursing have agreed to a joint appointment for a researcher to coordinate projects between the two institutions," said Lott, who added that nursing faculty frequently collaborate with professionals across the street.
One collaboration currently underway is a study involving Dr. Pauline Johnson, a Baylor nursing professor who is working with the Baylor Asthma Center on a research project on asthma among school children.
In another study, Dr. Frances Strodtbeck, a nursing professor and nationally recognized neo-natal care expert, is collaborating with Dr. Cody Arnold, a BUMC neonatologist, to determine the best care practices and methods of treatment for infants with retinopathy of pre-maturity, an eye disease of pre-term babies.
Strodtbeck said BUMC's Magnet achievement will enable students to see a stronger, more visible role of nursing service in the leadership and research arenas. "Knowing students will be able to do their clinical practicum in an institute recognized for its outstanding nursing work environment is a quality experience not available in other clinical sites," she said.