According to the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations: "Independently sponsored research shows that Magnet facilities have positive outcomes for patients, nursing and workplace. Specifically, patients experience lower mortality rates, shorter lengths of stay and increased satisfaction; nurses experience increased job satisfaction, increased perceptions of quality of care given and increased RN mix; and workplaces have a lower incidence of needlestick injuries, increased RN retention and recruitment rates, and lower rates of nurse burnout."

"Locate the nearest magnet. If you can easily check into a magnet hospital, you'd be foolish not to."

-- The Reader's Digest

Our nurses are vigilant. Attentive. They spend more time at patients' bedsides providing compassionate, expert care than at most other hospitals. We know that nurses are the primary source of help and support for patients at the most vulnerable times in their lives ... and we empower our nurses to do what they know is right.

Our nurses can spend the time they need with patients instead of paperwork. You can be sure that Magnet nurses have the support, autonomy, and the tools they need to do their work well.

Patient care is our highest priority ... day and night ... whenever you need us. You won't just hear about quality from us, you'll experience it.

Improving Patient Care

It bears repeating. Magnet designated facilities consistently outperform non-magnet organizations, delivering better patient outcomes. Shorter lengths of stay. Lower mortality rates. Increased patient satisfaction rates. That's the short list of third-party research results substantiating the fact that Magnet is the most attractive choice in health care

You've seen the national headlines: "Nursing Shortage Poses Serious Health Care Risk." More than 126,000 nursing positions are vacant today, and that number is expected to skyrocket just as 78 million Baby Boomers begin placing unprecedented demands on America's health-care system.

That's why the Magnet Recognition Program was created in the 1990s. Research was conducted to determine the "forces of magnetism" in the 1980s that enabled hospitals to keep good nurses. Today research provdes that Magnet organizations attract and retain outstanding nurses. In turn, high-quality nurses help attrack top-notch physicians to our medical staff.

At Southeast Missouri Hospital, our nurse vacancy rate is less than 2 percent.

Karen Hendrickson, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Southeast, said the Magnet program provides patients with the "ultimate benchmark" to measure the quality of care that they can expect to receive.

Of Southeast’s present nursing staff, Hendrickson said the average number of years employed at Southeast is 10. "Both physicians and patients appreciate the continuity of quality care and nursing expertise at Southeast that results from low staff turnover," she noted.

She noted that, at Southeast, 94 percent of nurses are RNs and 6 percent are LPNs. Nearly half of Southeast’s nurses are prepared at the bachelor degree or higher, and 23 percent are certified in their practice speciality.

"Magnet hospitals are evidence that creating a professional nurse practice environment is the solution to the flight of nurses from hospital practice," Hendrickson said, adding that Magnet designation also provides valuable information to consumers as they select hospitals.

Nursing at Southeast "reflects character, pride, academic achievement, validation of excellence through certification and a commitment to lifelong learning," Hendrickson added. "All of these characteristics come together as we demonstrate our passion for nursing every day in the care of our patients."

Learn more about our Legacy of the Magnet Program