After successfully completing a rigorous and lengthy review process, Hackensack Meridian Health Raritan Bay Medical Center-Old Bridge and Raritan Bay Medical Center-Perth Amboy have again attained Magnet recognition as part of the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program.
This is the fourth time Raritan Bay Medical Center (RBMC) has achieved Magnet, the highest honor an organization can receive for professional nursing practice, and widely accepted as the gold standard of patient care.
“It is no easy feat to achieve Magnet recognition. In fact, fewer than one percent of hospitals in the United States have achieved recognition four times,” said Thomas Shanahan, CPA, chief hospital executive, RBMC. “This special recognition is a testament to the culture of excellence our nursing team and leadership have fostered at Raritan Bay for our patients and community.”
As part of the recognition, Raritan Bay was also acknowledged as exemplary in the areas of nurse satisfaction, the services of the medical center’s Integrative Health & Medicine program, and in the identification of stroke patients experiencing difficulty swallowing.
“Raritan Bay first achieved Magnet recognition in 2004, since that time we have continued to evaluate and evolve our processes to improve care,” said Vice President of Nursing and Chief Nursing Officer Jane O’Rourke, DNP, R.N., NEA-BC. “I’m extremely proud of each and every one of our nurses for their commitment to providing exceptional patient care.”
To achieve recognition, organizations must pass an extensive review process that demands widespread participation from leadership and team members and demonstrates qualitative and quantitative evidence regarding patient care and outcomes. RBMC provided documented evidence of how Magnet concepts, performance, and quality were sustained and improved since its last recognition.
Hackensack Meridian Health boasts six other hospitals with Magnet designations — Bayshore Medical Center, Hackensack University Medical Center, Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Ocean Medical Center, Riverview Medical Center, and Southern Ocean Medical Center.