“The Magnet status recognizes hospitals that provide the highest level of nursing care,” says Kimberly Camp, RN, BSN, OCN, clinical operations director, Oncology Infusion Center & Apheresis, Duke University Hospital. “Cancer patients spend much of their time with nurses, so it‘s crucial for patients to choose hospitals that value innovative nursing care.”

The Magnet designation was awarded after a three-year application and evaluation process which included interviews with more than 500 Duke nurses, physicians, and staff. The evaluation also included an examination of 3,000 pages of documentation indicating key factors such as the number of nurses certified in specialty areas like oncology.

At Duke, 100 percent of nurses in radiation oncology and 80 percent of nurses in the treatment room are certified. Certified nurses are those registered nurses who have demonstrated exceptional knowledge of cancer patient care by passing a challenging examination.

Examiners reviewed patient satisfaction surveys, which are given to cancer patients in both inpatient and outpatient Duke facilities. For the 2007 fiscal year, oncology nurses received outstanding scores: 94.2 out of 100 for friendliness for outpatient nurses, and 93.3 out of 100 for the skill level of the inpatient nurses.

“We are committed to improving the care of our patients in any way we can,” says Tracy Gosselin, RN, MSN, AOCN, director of oncology services at Duke. “Our nurses have worked hard to decrease the wait times in the oncology treatment room and improve communication and instructions to patients when they leave the clinics. We have also created our own grand rounds, modeled after those seminars attended by doctors, which offer nurses information about new breakthroughs and research findings in oncology.”

“The decision to apply for Magnet status was driven by staff at all levels at Duke both inside and outside of nursing,” says Gosselin. “Through our Magnet application, we showed how oncology nurses at Duke are developing individually and as a group to improve care. Because of Magnet status, we have been able to attract and retain the best-trained nurses.”