UW Medical Center, School of Nursing host conference

The UW was among the hosts of the fourth annual National Magnet Nursing Conference last week at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center in downtown Seattle. The conference sponsors are UW Medical Center, the UW School of Nursing and the American Nurses Credentialing Center. UW Medical Center was the first hospital to be awarded magnet nursing status in 1994 and the first to be redesignated as a Magnet Hospital in 1998.

The conference was designed to bring together nurses from diverse clinical settings to find new ways to improve patient outcomes and foster organizational systems that promote excellence in nursing practice. By sharing strengths with one another, participants hope to study best practices for their organizations and for the nursing profession as a whole.

The Magnet Nursing Services Recognition Program was launched in 1994 by the American Nurses Credentialing Center to recognize outstanding achievement by nursing services in institutions across the United States. The distinction honors institutions that develop effective leadership teams, provide excellence in patient care, increase staff satisfaction, and expand the influence of professional nursing within their organizations and communities. ¶