Barnes-Jewish Hospital has once again achieved the highest acknowledgment of nursing excellence – Magnet recognition by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

Hospitals must apply for Magnet program re-designation every four years, and Barnes-Jewish is among less than 1 percent of hospitals in the U.S. that have maintained this status since the program was launched in 2003.

“This is the hospital’s fourth Magnet designation and it demonstrates a proven track record of excellence in nursing practice,” said Angelleen Peters-Lewis, vice president of patient care services and chief nurse executive. “It should be a source of pride not just for our nurses, but for every employee.”

To confer Magnet designation, the ANCC looks for evidence of excellence in the following areas: transformational leadership, structural empowerment, exemplary professional practice, new knowledge, innovations and improvements, and empirical outcomes. Barnes-Jewish submitted more than 1,000 pages of documentation last year and then participated in a four-day on-site review by an ANCC appraisal team.

“It was a great honor for Barnes-Jewish to be the first adult hospital in Missouri to achieve Magnet status back in 2003, but to maintain that level of excellence for 15 years is remarkable,” said Bob Cannon, president of Barnes-Jewish Hospital. “The role that nurses play in health care is constantly expanding, and this recognition validates that nursing at Barnes-Jewish continues to expand in the right direction.”

Research cited by the ANCC suggests hospitals that follow Magnet standards achieve better nurse satisfaction and an improved patient experience. Barnes-Jewish has a staff of 3,415 nurses and 82 percent of them hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.

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Barnes-Jewish Hospital is a 1,386 bed teaching hospital affiliated with Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. The hospital has a 1,519-member medical staff, and has been listed on the elite honor roll of best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report for 24 consecutive years. Barnes-Jewish is a member of BJC HealthCare, which provides a full range of health care services through its 15 hospitals and more than 100 health care sites in Missouri and Illinois.