Skip to main content

OHSU Nurses Celebrate Major Achievement

After a decade of work, nurses in OHSU Healthcare are awarded prestigious Magnet status
August 23, 2012

August 24, 2012 -- Cheers erupted in a packed conference room at
Oregon Health & Science University this morning as nurses learned that many years of hard work have paid off. Today the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANNC) informed OHSU that it had been awarded Magnet status. The designation is no small achievement. It is only awarded to hospitals that meet the highest standards of patient care. In fact, only about 6 percent of hospitals across the country achieve Magnet status for nursing, including only five hospitals in the entire state of Oregon.

In order to achieve Magnet designation, some 2,200 nurses throughout OHSU, which includes Doernbecher Children's Hospital, completed several important steps to demonstrate excellent clinical care in OHSU hospitals and clinics, including:

  • Extensive training over several years to ensure OHSU nurses are utilizing and developing evidence-based practices to care for patients.
  • The creation and submission of more than 4,000 pages of documentation to illustrate OHSU nurses' dedication to providing the best possible care.
  • A rigorous four-day onsite AANC inspection of OHSU hospitals and clinics to witness patient care and professional nursing practices firsthand.


"Achieving Magnet status is a significant and very proud achievement for our nurses and OHSU as a whole," said Jennifer Jacoby, R.N., M.S.N, N.E.A.-B.C., chief nursing officer for OHSU Healthcare. "Magnet status helps us continue to recruit and retain the best nurses. Magnet status is also tracked by organizations that measure quality of care in hospitals and health systems as it is considered a significant commitment to positive outcomes for patients. This designation can even positively impact the bond rating for institutions as it demonstrates a commitment to excellence."

"This is an outstanding achievement for OHSU Healthcare," said OHSU chief medical officer Charles Kilo, M.D. "Most importantly, because it directly impacts the care our patients receive. We've known for a long time that our nurses provide some of the best care available. Today's announcement serves as proof positive."

Comments