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Magnet Nursing

The Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC) is recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) as a Magnet designated organization. This is a reflection of high-quality patient care, nurse excellence and innovation in professional nursing practice.

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What is Magnet?

Developed by ANCC, Magnet is the leading source of successful nursing practices and strategies worldwide. The Magnet Recognition Program® recognizes health care organizations for quality patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice. It is a nurse driven accreditation but is truly an evaluation of the culture and quality of care of an entire organization. Consumers rely on Magnet designation as the ultimate credential for high quality nursing.

What makes MEDVAMC Magnet?

Transformational Leadership: Nurses at the MEDVAMC embody the VA’s mission, vision, and values in the care they provide to our Veterans. Our nurses advocate and influence the quality of care and organizational goals throughout the MEDVAMC.

Structural Empowerment: Nurses at the MEDVAMC are supported by the organization to reach their full professional potentials. This is achieved by strong practices such as shared governance, transition to practice programs, scholarship programs, mentorship, preceptorship, and many other professional development activities.

Exemplary Professional Practice: Nurses at the MEDVAMC are obsessed with providing high-quality patient care. To achieve this the MEDVAMC continually measures all nurse sensitive indicators and benchmarks our nursing performance against organizations world-wide. We also celebrate our nurses at every opportunity available, whether through the DAISY Award program or during the many events such as Nurses Week that we celebrate throughout the year.

New Knowledge, Innovations & Improvements: Nurses at the MEDVAMC are heavily involved in research and evidence-based practice. No decisions are made that impact nursing practice, the work environment or patient care without the support of evidence from the extant literature.

Nursing programs offered at MEDVAMC!

Shared Governance: Shared governance is an organizational model that provides a structure for shared decision making among professionals about practice and clinical outcomes. With successful implementation, shared governance legitimizes the decision-making control of nurses over their practice while extending nurses’ influence in some administrative areas previously controlled by managers. Shared governance empowers nurses at every level to make decisions in nursing practice, nursing quality of care, and nursing competence, as well as the generation of new knowledge and innovations.

Nurses at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center (MEDVAMC) utilize the Shared Governance Model to define and promote the professional role of the registered nurse. The Shared Governance Model was designed and implemented to support the nurses’ accountability and voice in their own practice.

Post-Baccalaureate Registered Nurse Residency Program (PB-RNR)

The MEDVAMC supports the Post Baccalaureate-Registered Nurse Residency (PB-RNR) Program, which is a non-employee, federally funded trainee program supported and funded by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Office of Academic Affiliation (OAA). The OAA academic-based residency program is 2080 hours and nurse residents have 100% protected time in the role of a trainee.

The first PB-RNR Cohort began in 2020 with six nurse residents. An academic partnership with Prairie View A&M University College of Nursing (PVAMU CON) and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Cizik School of Nursing (UTHealth Houston CSON) was established at the beginning of the PB-RNR Program. The official collaboration continues through the PB-RNR Advisory Committee (Appendix Overview -A-1) with a Memorandum of Understanding (Appendix Overview -A-2 and Appendix Overview -A-3). The PB-RNR Advisory Committee is actively involved in the governance and oversight of the PB-RNR program. 

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Nursing Mentorship Program

The MEDVAMC Nursing Mentorship Program connects nurses who have specific skills and knowledge (mentors) with individuals who want to gain experience in their area of practice. The MEDVAMC Mentor Program participants share their values, goals, and support in a mutually respectful approach. The goal of the program is to break down barriers, form possible long-term professional relationships and create opportunities for success.