The Western Pennsylvania Hospital

West Penn Hospital nurses continually strive to provide the very best care and service to patients and are justifiably proud of their success. West Penn Hospital nurses and the Nursing Division Team have been recognized for excellence by each other, by the hospital, by our patients, and by national and international organizations.

ANCC Magnet Recognition Program® Achievement

On December 7, 2006, The Western Pennsylvania Hospital achieved Magnet Recognition status from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

West Penn Hospital is the first hospital in Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania to receive this prestigious recognition, which has been achieved by only about 5% of all healthcare facilities in the nation.

The Magnet Recognition Program® was developed by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to recognize healthcare organizations that provide nursing excellence. The program also provides a vehicle for disseminating successful nursing practices and strategies.

Recognizing quality patient care, nursing excellence, and innovations in professional nursing practice, the Magnet Recognition Program provides consumers with the ultimate benchmark to measure the quality of care that they can expect to receive. When U.S. News & World Report publishes its annual showcase of "America's Best Hospitals", being a Nurse Magnet^TM facility contributes to the total score for quality of inpatient care. Of the hospitals listed on the exclusive 2007 Honor Roll rankings (July 23, 2007), seven of the top ten were Magnet hospitals.

The Magnet Recognition Program is based on quality indicators and standards of nursing practice as defined in the American Nurses Association's Scope and Standards for Nurse Administrators (2004). The Scope and Standards for Nurse Administrators and other "foundational documents" form the base upon which the Magnet environment is built. The Magnet designation process includes the appraisal of qualitative factors in nursing. These factors, referred to as "Forces of Magnetism", were first identified through research done in 1983.

The full expression of the Forces embodies a professional environment guided by a strong visionary nursing leader who advocates and supports development and excellence in nursing practice. As a natural outcome of this, the program elevates the reputation and standards of the nursing profession.

Read more about West Penn's achievement:
About West Penn Hospital
Professional Paradigms Magnet Recognition issue

Magnet Moments

In 2007, The Western Pennsylvania Hospital Nursing Division inaugurated the "Magnet Moments" program to share with everyone at West Penn the recognitions our nurses have received from patients, clients or others outside the Hospital.

Each recognition reflects the support and dedication of everyone at West Penn Hospital for providing the highest level of care and service, in the hospital and in the community.

A new "Magnet Moment" is displayed each month in the hospital, and the monthly displays are reproduced in Professional Paradigms, the West Penn Hospital Nursing Division's peer-reviewed professional journal.

Service Excellence

Nursing departments and staff are recognized almost daily on Service Excellence cards that are available for patients, families and other employees to complete as a way to recognize outstanding service. Samples of recognitions include the following:

"_______, RN, cared for my mom and I cannot say enough about the wonderful care! Being a nurse for 20+ years myself, I don't think I could have taken better care of her. He is truly an asset to West Penn Hospital and the nursing profession!”
- Patient family member, West Penn Hospital

“_______, RN, is so caring. I felt so at ease knowing she was watching out for my personal care. She always checked to see if I was OK or needed anything. Loved her smile.”
- Patient, West Penn Hospital

“My loved one was brought to West Penn for testing. _______, RN, was one of his nurses. We feel that the nurse not only demonstrated all of your service standards — he also showed genuine concern for the patient. People like him make it much easier to cope with the health problems that brought us here in the first place. Thanks.”
- Patient family member, West Penn Hospital

“_______, PCA, defines Patient Care Associate … She is very caring with her patients. She talks to them, eases their worries and more important, listens to them. One day, she took the word team player to the ultimate meaning. She was the only PCA and did vitals, Accuchecks and handled many blood draws. Her beautiful smile that soothes patients never waned. Thanks for going that extra mile.”
- Employee, West Penn Hospital

West Penn Hospital Nurses in the Media

West Penn Hospital nurses are routinely featured in local, regional and national media for their professional accomplishments. Recent mentions include the following:

Barbara Welsh and Howard Aikens, RN, of the Joslin Diabetes Center affiliate at The Western Pennsylvania Hospital appeared in footage of the Center shown on the Jennifer TV Show, featuring Jennifer Antkowiak, on November 16.

West Penn Hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit nurses were featured in a story that was covered by a number of media outlets, about a West Penn Hospital junior volunteer who collected and donated 600 baby outfits for the unit. WPXI-TV ran a story October 22 and the Valley News Dispatch ran a story October 23. In addition, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ran a brief story in its PG North section on October 30. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and the Pine Creek Journal both ran stories November 6.

West Penn Nursing Wins Communications and Marketing Awards

West Penn Hospital Nursing Division communications and marketing materials routinely receive awards in national and international competitions, such as the MarCom Awards competition and Healthcare Advertising Awards, the largest and most widely respected healthcare advertising awards competition, sponsored by Healthcare Marketing Report.