Feature
A MAGNET FOR SUCCESS As the NHS tentatively starts to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals across England are taking part in a much-needed Europe-wide project to improve nurses’ working environments and reduce stress levels. The Magnet4Europe study, funded by a €4 million grant from the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme, will implement the principles of the Magnet programme, a US accreditation scheme that recognises excellence in nursing. The project is a collaboration between some of the world’s leading universities and is being led by Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium and the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.
and the delivery of safer patient care, in turn improving recruitment and retention. Among the key pillars of Magnet are transformational leadership, shared governance and staff empowerment, exemplary professional practice within nursing, strong interdisciplinary relationships and a focus on innovation. Magnet4Europe will test the feasibility and sustainability of the Magnet Model® for organisational redesign in the context of healthcare in Europe.
“Burnout, anxiety, sleep disorders, and depression are far too common among healthcare workers. Patient safety depends on vigilance, quick thinking, and attention to detail by health professionals; this is made more difficult by stressful work settings,” explained Jane Ball, Professor of Nursing Workforce Policy and Principal Investigator on the study at Southampton. “Nurses in the UK have one of the highest levels of burnout in any country in Europe, it’s high time we took a long hard look at how we organise the delivery of healthcare in the NHS, and find ways of reducing stress and improving staff wellbeing.”
professional burnout and safer patient care. There are currently 502 Magnet-recognised hospitals in eight countries, with most located in the US. Very few hospitals in Europe have ever achieved Magnet recognition: notable examples are Nottingham City Hospital and the Antwerp University Hospital.
“Over 60 hospitals in the six European countries of Belgium, Norway, England, Germany, Ireland, and Sweden are being supported by one-to-one twinning with an experienced Magnet-recognised US hospital and an annual learning collaborative to redesign their ways of working, staffing and systems,” explained Jane. “Magnet4Europe uses a mixed method design to determine individual and collective health outcomes and cost effectiveness; it will examine whether redesigning clinical work environments can improve staff health and wellbeing.”
How it works Studies have shown that Magnet-recognised hospitals in the US have lower health
Magnet is based on research showing that creating positive work environments for nurses leads to happier and healthier staff
The COVID effect The study began in January 2020 and researchers were initially concerned that
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Professor Jane Ball
