These essays were written in 2007 by registered nurses at Southeast Missouri Hospital as part of a Hospital-wide contest made possible by a $1000 gift from Heartland Advanced Practice Nursing Network (HAPNN). We appreciate the continued support of HAPPN.

Two prizes of $500 each were awarded — one to a nurse who has been with Southeast for more than ten years and the other to a nurse employed by Southeast for less than ten years. Michele Griffin, BSN, RN, was the winner in the under 10 year category; Susan Stroder, BSN, RNC, won in the over 10 year service category.

The winners were anonymously chosen by the Recruitment and Retention Committee at Southeast Missouri Hospital on the basis of who best represented the theme “What Magnet Means to Our Patients.”

Hey, does Cape have good healthcare?

By Michele Griffin BSN, RN

As a registered nurse working at Southeast Missouri Hospital, I am often asked, “What do you think about healthcare in Cape Girardeau?” I always respond, “Do you know what Magnet status in nursing means, and did you know Southeast Missouri Hospital is a Magnet hospital?” Occasionally I’ll get a brief response, but most of the time I am offered a blank stare. You know, the kind of stare that says, “I really have no idea but I don’t want you to think I am stupid.” So, I jump right in and tell them what Magnet means to patients and to the community we live in. Magnet means:

Your nurses are educated - 94% of them are registered nurses and almost half hold a bachelor degree in nursing. Financial incentives are provided to nurses to continue their education and money is available that nurses can pay back just by working at Southeast. What a deal. If nurses stay at Southeast, a major portion, if not all of their degree, is paid for.

Nurses at Southeast work to provide the best care available. New procedures and modifications to policies are constantly being updated to reflect the most current practice available. Gone are the days of home remedies and old school ideas. If research can’t prove a way of practicing that best benefits the patient, it’s out of here!

Caring is not just a job to Southeast nurses; it is a way of life. Nurses at Southeast contribute thousands of dollars to the area United Way. They organize walks for diseases, present community education and volunteer their time and knowledge to various community projects. Community relationships are required to become a Magnet hospital. Fortunately, the nurses of Southeast Missouri Hospital achieved this standard well before Magnet mandated it.

About this time I start losing my audience. They wanted to know about Magnet, but not at the length I have taken. I realize I must quickly wrap up my explanation and provide the down and dirty.

Magnet ensures that hospitals are following the highest standards of nursing practice. It protects nurses, supports nurses and encourages professionalism in nursing. To the lay person, Magnet means that as a patient, you are receiving nursing care from nurses who are reaching for the stars. They are committed to providing excellent care and are supported in their efforts.

“Ohhhh,” they say. “That’s really great.” “It is really great,” I’ll reply. Larger surrounding towns may have more doctors and larger facilities but I can guarantee you will not get better nursing care ANYWHERE. About here in the conversation the focus shifts to the second reason they struck up a conversation with me. As all nurses can attest, our advice is a well sought out commodity. “I have this thing going on with my arm....Uncle Joe’s dog....the tree house had a loose board....and....what do you think it is? I smile slowly, laugh to myself and as always, give “it” a look.

The Best of Care

By Susan Stroder, BSN, RNC

Well-known physician William Osler once said, “The trained nurse has become one of the great blessings of humanity, taking a place beside the physician and the priest, and not inferior to either in her mission” (The MacMillan Dictionary of Quotations, 2000, p. 395). This quotation symbolizes the significance of the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet Award to Southeast Missouri Hospital’s registered nurses.

Nurses at Southeast achieved the Magnet Standard of Excellence in education. Many nurses at Southeast have at least a bachelor degree and 23% have specialty certification (Southeast Missouri Hospital, 2007). This number is growing as nurses continue challenging themselves to become better educated in order to give quality care. Recently ten Obstetrical nurses received ANCC certification. More nurses are obtaining their BSN or MSN. What does this training mean to our patients? It means patient care is evidence-based, top quality and state-of-the-art. More than all these things combined, however, it means nurses truly care about their patients, exemplifying Osler’s statement that the trained nurse is one of the great blessings of humanity.

Another Magnet Standard of Excellence that Southeast nurses meet is collaboration. Teamwork between nurses, physicians and other specialty areas is evident not only in every day patient care but especially during an emergency. Recently a postpartum patient suddenly developed pulmonary edema. Immediately, respiratory therapists, intensive care nurses and physicians came to lend assistance to the Obstetrical staff. Because of that collaboration this new mom was restored to health. In collaboration, the nurse (and the entire staff) takes a place beside the physician in delivering competent, compassionate patient-centered care.

Southeast nurses meet the ANCC Quality of Care Standard. The quality patient care that Southeast nurses are known for is what keeps patients coming back for their health care. Nurses also continue working at Southeast because they know the continuity of care they give is unmatched. On OB, 66 Obstetrical nurses with a combined 944 years of experience assist physicians in taking care of over 1,500 moms and babies per year (SEH, 2007). Nurse retention is high; turnover is low. Patients love seeing familiar faces when they come to deliver their baby. This familiarity makes them feel more comfortable because they associate it with quality, personal care. To many patients, their nurse becomes a part of their family. A thank-you card recently received from a new mom and dad states, “We cannot thank you all enough for making the arrival of our daughter so special. We delivered our other daughter two years ago and saw many of the same faces. That was neat. Everyone took such good care of our entire family. We will see you again in a few years."

So, what does Magnet mean to our patients? It means our patients receive “one of the great blessings of humanity”- the care of a trained, committed and caring nurse whose goal is to take good care of her patient. Simply put, our patients receive the best care, given by the best nurses, at the best hospital.

References
Daintith, J., Egerton, H., Fergusson, R., Stibbs, A., & Wright, E. (Eds.). (2000). The MacMillan Dictionary of Quotations. Edison, NJ: Chartwell Books, Inc.

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