Perioperative nursing shines! Magnet designation reflected in staff engagement, empowerment and excellence

Magnet designation is the ‘gold standard’ recognising excellence in nursing care and outcomes. It is granted on the basis of empirical evidence across 88 criteria organised into four model components, namely: Transformational Leadership; Structural Empowerment; Exemplary Professional Practice; and New Knowledge, Innovations and Improvement. This article reports on the results from the perioperative services of the Practice Environment Scale (PES-AUS) which was conducted as part of the preparation for Magnet designation at St Vincent’s Private Hospital, Sydney (SVPH), New South Wales, Australia. Results demonstrate high levels of staff engagement and satisfaction and are comparable to results from Magnet hospitals in the USA. Four brief narratives from staff provide evidence of the excellent work being done to improve patient care outcomes as well as staff safety and staff satisfaction in the perioperative services of this newly designated Magnet facility.