Improving the culture of patient safety through the Magnet® journey.

This article outlines how one academic medical center's nursing service has developed programs to improve patient safety and quality outcomes through the use of the Magnet Re-Designation Accreditation Process(R) and a shared governance model. Successful programs have been implemented across the continuum of care. These programs include educational initiatives that increased both the number of nurses with BSN degrees and specialty certifications and also the number of patient-focused initiatives, such as a reduction in central line infection rates, an increase in hand-washing compliance, and a decrease in fall rates. In this article we will describe how our Magnet Re-Designation Accreditation Process(R) and shared governance model have contributed to strengthening our culture of patient safety. The manner in which the Magnet components of transformational leadership; structural empowerment; exemplary professional practice; new knowledge, innovation and improvement; and empirical quality results have all contributed to improved patient safety are discussed.