I am a new graduate, and I notice that hospitals in many recruitment ads list that they have Magnet status. Is it really any
better working for a hospital that has Magnet status?
MAYBE. HAVING BEEN involved in the Magnet preparation at my hospital for the last several years, I know it is a lot of work, and any hospital
that will put in the time, resources and money to attain this achievement must care about their nursing staff. I have seen
a lot of growth in our nursing staff just in the preparation for our Magnet visit, and it has called attention to a lot of
the good things nurses do. But don't limit yourself. The best way to tell how a hospital might treat its nurses is to talk
to the staff. Do the nurses like what they do and feel they have autonomy and administrative support? What are the nurse-patient
ratios? What is the relationship with physicians? Do they support nursing education and research? How does the staff feel
about the teamwork on the unit? And how do they treat new graduates? While I believe that achieving Magnet is a great thing,
that can't be the only thing you look for in choosing a place to start your career.
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DONNA OJANEN THOMAS, RN, MSN, is director of the emergency department and rapid treatment unit at Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City. 
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