Nurse Leaders from Huntington Memorial Hospital Address Prestigious National Nursing Conference in Los Angeles

Two nurse leaders from Huntington Memorial Hospital recently addressed the annual meeting of the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) National Magnet Conference, sharing with conference attendees the steps and processes involved with developing the clinical nurse recognition program at Huntington Hospital. The conference attracted more than 7,000 nurses and nursing executives from premier hospitals around the country who gathered at the Los Angeles Convention Center to share evidence-based best practices in healthcare.
In their presentation Lynette Dahlman, MSN, RN?BC, and Lulu Rosales, MSN, RN, NE?BC, disclosed how Huntington Hospital created its reward and recognition program, which today is building new nurse leaders to better serve the community. The rollout of this program included computer-based learning modules and live educational sessions, supported by multi-pronged ongoing nursing leadership training through the computer lab, the Web and one-on-one coaching and mentoring.
“Critical in this effort was the creation of the Clinical Nurse Recognition Council, which today serves as the go-to resource for the entire program,” said Rosales, director of professional practice/Magnet at Huntington Hospital. “The council evolved from our initial brainstorming efforts and now serves an indispensable role in policy feedback, reviewing applications for nurses who want to participate and creating our standardized scoring tools.”
In 2011 Huntington Hospital became one of only 6 percent of hospitals in the United States to achieve Magnet designation – the “gold standard” for nursing, which recognizes outstanding patient care, overall nursing excellence and innovation in nursing practice. Last month the hospital announced the creation of a new Institute for Nursing Excellence and Innovation that will build upon that foundation by helping to make sure patients at
Huntington Hospital are cared for by a nursing staff that is fully prepared to respond to the myriad of medical challenges and personal responsibilities they face.
ANCC is the world’s largest and most prestigious nurse credentialing organization, and a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association. The annual ANCC National Magnet Conference serves as both a celebration of accomplishment for newly designated Magnet organizations and a showcase of best-nursing practices for the Magnet community. With this year’s theme “Reaching for the Stars,” the conference focused on best practices based in science and innovations that may contribute to each attendee’s professional practice and to positive patient outcomes.
Huntington Memorial Hospital is a 625-bed not-for-profit hospital that is home to the only Level II Trauma Center in the San Gabriel Valley. In addition to being granted Magnet® designation in 2011, Huntington Hospital has been ranked nationally by U.S. News and World Report in two specialties and was named the 8th best hospital in California. Renowned for its programs in neurosciences, cardiovascular services and cancer care, Huntington Hospital is an active teaching hospital with graduate medical education programs in internal medicine and general surgery. Consistent with its mission the hospital provides millions of dollars annually in charity care, benefits for vulnerable populations, health research, education and training, and support programs that may otherwise be absent from the community. For more information, go to www.huntingtonhospital.com.

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