To be successful, the hospital's CNO must gain support and commitment from the leadership team. Although MRP status recognizes excellence in nursing services, the nursing practice environment does not exist in a vacuum, apart from the rest of the organization. Hold a strategic planning meeting during the preplanning phase with members of the leadership team to discuss the cultural transformation and what specific tasks need to be accomplished to obtain and sustain designation.

Most CNOs have found it helpful to do a high-level presentation early in the process to educate, excite, and engage the team. They then do a second, more detailed presentation as a follow-up, to discuss the specific involvement of the various leaders and departments to ensure organizational success. The following are examples of concepts to be included in both the initial and follow-up presentations.

Topics to include in initial presentation:

• History and background of the MRP
• Identification of hospitals in your market that have achieved designation
• Relationship of MRP status to other regulatory agencies/federal reports
• Relevance of obtaining designation to your organization

Topics for follow-up presentation:

• Support required:
  • Data management
  • Information informatics infrastructure (IT department)
  • Public relations/marketing department
• Overview of the phases of the MagnetRP process
• Committee structure and responsibilities

Education is critical to kick starting this project. There is plenty of work to be done and by engaging the leadership team first, the CNO will be setting the foundation for a sound journey.

Gina Boring, MSN, RN, NE-BC, Senior Nurse Consultant, HealthLinx, Inc

(January 2010)