Stanford Children's Health achieves highest honor for nursing excellence

Last fall, more than 60 nurses from Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford traveled to Orlando, Florida, to be celebrated as first-time recipients of the prestigious Magnet recognition.

The American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet Recognition Program rewards excellence in nursing and is the highest honor an organization can receive for professional nursing practice.

Only 8% of the more than 6,300 hospitals in the United States have achieved this distinction.

“Magnet recognition is a tremendous honor and reflects our commitment to delivering the highest quality of care to the patients and families in our community and beyond,” said Kelly Johnson, RN, PhD, vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer. “This achievement underscores the foundation of excellence and values that drives our entire staff.”

To earn Magnet recognition, organizations must pass a rigorous and lengthy process that demands widespread participation from leaders, staff members and providers. This includes an electronic application, written patient care documentation, an on-site visit and a review by the Commission on Magnet Recognition.

The Magnet Recognition Program focuses on three goals: promoting quality in a setting that supports professional practice, identifying excellence in the delivery of nursing services to patients and disseminating best practices in nursing services. 

Magnet-recognized health care organizations have proven to provide specific benefits to the communities they serve and the people who work there, including higher patient satisfaction rates, lower risk of 30-day mortality, lower failure-to-rescue rates, higher job satisfaction among nurses and lower rates of job turnover.

More than 6,000 nurses, physicians and team members at Stanford Children’s Health contributed to this achievement.

“We are exceptionally proud of reaching this milestone — a result of tireless dedication from our nursing and patient care leadership and everyone who delivers care at Stanford Children’s Health,” said Paul King, president and chief executive officer. “Magnet recognition is an immense source of pride for our entire organization, and a testament to our unparalleled quality and potential.” 

Stanford Children’s Health nurses celebrate their Magnet recognition, given for nursing excellence, at a conference in Orlando, Florida.