by Cindy Abole
Public Relations

Nine months after MUSC nurses and clinical staff formally committed to achieving Magnet designation, the group took the next step toward excellence by defining and unveiling the choice of a professional nursing practice model on Sept. 26 and Sept. 28.

Medical center nurses prepare the red carpet for the nursing professional practice model premier.

MUSC's Professional Practice Model, the Gate concept, was the overall choice by nurses who shared their thoughts in an April survey conducted by the Magnet Exemplary Professional Practice Work Group. The Gate, one of two concept entries, features a logo of a Charleston ironwork gate that focuses on nursing characteristics identified by nurses, such as collaboration, skillfulness, advocacy, integrity, innovation and accountability as its theme. As achieving Magnet designation is one of the seven driving strategies of the MUSC Health Strategic Plan, a Nursing Professional Practice Model schematically depicts how nurses at MUSC deliver patient-centered care.

The second entry, a Palmetto tree, coordinates MUSC Excellence characteristics featuring professionalism, innovation, compassion, evidence-based work and skills. The Palmetto tree model fits MUSC's culture, resources and goals and defines what is important to nurses and what will drive the medical center's current and future nursing practice.

Nurse Katie Steidle takes a picture of the new Gate concept selected by nurses through an online survey.

Marilyn Schaffner, Ph.D., R.N., administrator for clinical services and chief nursing executive, has been supportive of MUSC's Magnet nursing process and how it is elevating nursing excellence. "Creating the MUSC Nursing Professional Practice Model solidifies our commitment to nursing excellence and providing quality care to our patients. As we move forward on our Magnet journey, I continue to be humbled by the amazing work our nurses do every day."

Dr. Marilyn Schaffner unveiled MUSC's first nursing professional practice model Sept. 26.

Magnet nursing was established in the 1990s through the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a way to recognize hospitals and health care institutions that offered excellent nursing care and quality patient outcomes. Achieving Magnet status is the highest and most distinctive recognition a health care organization can receive for nursing excellence and quality outcomes.

Last August, nursing leadership began taking steps toward Magnet designation. On Jan. 18, MUSC nurses, with support from hospital leadership, kicked off the journey.

The Magnet nursing model identifies five concepts: transformational leadership, structural empowerment, exemplary professional practice, new knowledge, innovations and improvements and empirical outcomes. Throughout this process, nurses are embracing the opportunity to serve in each of these areas to develop or revise standards and policies, collaborate with other professionals, focus on continuing education and improve the overall nursing environment.

Members of the Magnet Exemplary Professional Practice work group began efforts to identify and create a nursing professional practice model to describe nursing practices. To initiate the process, the group polled nurses with an online survey asking for their input about nursing and nursing practices. They compiled the results and converted their findings to qualitative data for further analysis. From there, they identified key attributes that connected with nurses and their profession. One common theme identified was "caring" as a central focus. They also embraced author Jean Watson's theory of human caring as central to their Professional Nursing Practice model concepts. Watson describes caring as the most valuable attribute nursing offers to humanity and to patient care. The team also evaluated the role of nurses with patients, families, their communities as well as their relationships with colleagues and patient outcomes.

Darcy Kalles, R.N., Heart & Vascular Center administration director, who co-chaired the work group with Cameron Mitchum, R.N., STICU nurse educator, was excited about the team's progress in just five months. The team worked separately in two subgroups for six weeks to establish and confirm the nursing models.

"Our group was dedicated to finding a nursing practice model that honestly describes nursing at MUSC that everyone could embrace," Kalles said.

Dorothy Whisenhunt, R.N., 9East, was excited to see the hospital's progress in the Magnet journey and glad to share her input about nursing and providing patient care. "I am thrilled that we, as nurses at MUSC, are able to create a nursing practice model based on our own priorities and beliefs. Building and voting on our own nursing practice model makes the entire Magnet journey more personal and unique for each and every nurse. The new practice model gives more meaning to what we do for our patients every day."

To help visualize each model's key concepts, the team collaborated with University Press' graphic design staff to translate the two concept ideas into a graphic image that communicated nursing keys and were identifiable with Charleston's Lowcountry.

By mid-summer, the team unveiled the two model concepts, the Gate and the Palmetto tree. All nurses had the opportunity to vote on the model each person believed to best represent MUSC nursing. More than 955 nurses participated in the online voting and official results of the winning professional nursing practice plan were unveiled at the Sept. 26 red carpet premiere. On Sept. 26 and Sept. 28 the winning model was displayed at the Ashley River Tower mezzanine and the Rutledge Tower walkway.

Next, Kalles and her team will work with the Magnet Communications Committee to promote this new model to all nurses and medical center staff. "We want our nurses to not only understand it, but also share it with others about the joy of nursing and how we impact patient care."

Exemplary Professional Practice Workgroup
Cameron Mitchum, R.N., and Darcy Kalles, R.N., co-chairs; Ramita Bonadonna, Ph.D., R.N., Psychiatry; Weatherly Brice R.N., Women's Health; Natalie Emanuel, R.N., 7East Pediatrics; Jennette Freund, R.N., Adult Cath Lab; Sara Gayle McConnell, RNC, Neonatal Nurseries; Abigail Powers, R.N., 3 West, ART; Michelle Sharp, RNC, Women's Health; Katie Steidle, R.N., 8 East, and Kathleen White, R.N., Neonatal Intensive Care