Magnet Status: How librarians are helping

In 2003, Barnes-Jewish Hospital was the first adult hospital in Missouri to achieve the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet Recognition® Magnet recognition is the highest level of recognition possible for excellence in nursing practice. Magnet hospitals “have an ethical and professional responsibility to contribute to patient care, the organization, and the profession in terms of new knowledge, innovations, and improvements.”

Teams and leaders who develop and sustain the Magnet program, as well as those responsible for preparing Magnet application materials, find their librarian to be an invaluable asset. By providing instructional sessions, and one-on-one research and consultation support to individuals, committees and staff, librarians help facilitate and promote a climate for professional development and evidence-based practice (EBP) for hospital nurses.

Librarians also assist with the dissemination of Magnet projects and initiatives. Providing tools for deciding to which journals to submit a manuscript, or providing mini-snapshots of author and article impact-factors, librarians ensure the impact of its EBP activities and contributions are optimized. During Barnes-Jewish Hospital’s Magnet re-designation review in 2018, a Becker librarian created a research impact report using SciVal which was included in the research materials presented to the visiting accreditation committee.

Finally, librarians enhance interprofessional and multidisciplinary collaboration. Becker librarians provide unique access to connect investigators from various institutional departments across the medical campus.

If you would like to learn more about how the library can support you and your team in a similar initiative, please contact Laura Simon at l.simon@wustl.edu.