Nursing Magnet Readiness Index (MRI)

Application

An evaluation tool for hospitals to track nursing care metrics and determine readiness to apply for Magnet status.

Key Benefits

  • Provides a quick assessment of the quality of nursing care over time prior to applying for Magnet status.
  • Compares data to scores of current Magnet hospitals to see where they stand.

Market Summary

Magnet recognition was developed by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the largest nurse credentialing organization to gage the caliber of nursing care in hospitals and healthcare centers. Less than 10% of hospitals are Magnet designated. Magnet recognition is the highest recognition of hospitals for nursing excellence and a hospital with Magnet recognition is generally defined as having excellent patient care, low nursing turnover, and a high level of satisfied nurses. Gauging the readiness of a hospital to apply for Magnet recognition can be confusing and time consuming; therefore, there is a need for an automated tool that could collect, analyze, and trend nursing data relevant to Magnet status. A scale in which hospitals can regularly self-evaluate, can aid in ensuring they are on the right track towards Magnet recognition.

Technical Summary

Because Magnet status signifies excellent nursing care and is incorporated into hospital rankings, consumers frequently take into consideration Magnet recognition when choosing their healthcare center. The Magnet Readiness Index (MRI) developed by Emory nurses, provides a clear, automated method in which hospitals can self-evaluate metrics associated with Magnet recognition. The MRI Dashboard was created to score individual indicators and compare them to the scores of current Magnet hospitals. For each parameter, the results from the previous quarter are listed as well as the “target” or 50th percentile of current Magnet hospitals. When each parameter is scored, the result is color coded to show strengths and weaknesses clearly. Green signifies a target parameter has been met; yellow signifies a parameter is between the 25th and 50th percentiles; and red signifies a parameter that is below the 25th percentile. In addition, the MRI helps each unit and group of nurses identify problem areas that need to be addressed and improved. Using the MRI Dashboard, hospitals can determine areas that require improvement, a comparative score related to nursing care, and an assessment of their Magnet readiness.

Developmental Stage

Table has been designed and automated calculations take place in Excel. Software to calculate the scores is being developed.

Patent Information

Tech ID: 11095
Published: 3/27/2013