Caregivers at the OSUCCC – James will work with staff at a large hospital in Germany as part of Magnet4Europe, a randomized trial funded by the European Commission to determine the feasibility of redesigning hospital work environments in six European nations under principles established by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®.

Magnet recognition is the highest honor a U.S. health care organization can receive for quality patient care and professional nursing practice.

Through the Magnet4Europe initiative, over 70 hospitals in Belgium, England, Germany, Ireland, Sweden and Norway will be supported by one-to-one “twinning” with an experienced U.S. Magnet-recognized hospital to promote capacity building through transfer of knowledge, skills, tools, technology and best practices. The OSUCCC – James, an ANCC Magnet-designated hospital since 2013, is paired with Klinikum Bremerhaven-Reinkenheide GmBH, a 723-bed hospital in Bremerhaven, Germany.

Magnet4Europe planners hope the collaborative redesign of the European hospitals in accordance with ANCC Magnet® Recognition principles will help improve care quality and safety, patient satisfaction and workforce outcomes. The OSUCCC – James was selected from a pool of Magnet-designated U.S. hospitals for participation in Magnet4Europe and will be involved in both the intervention and research components of the initiative.

Both hospitals in each pair will appoint a Magnet4Europe project director. U.S. Magnet hospital project directors will report to U.S.-based Magnet4Europe Co-Director Linda Aiken, PhD, RN, at the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Chris Krall, MSN, RN, OCN, director of Magnet Recognition, will serve as project director for The James.

“We are pleased to have been selected for participation in the groundbreaking Magnet4Europe initiative, and we look forward to working with our paired hospital in Germany,” says Kris Kipp, MSN, RN, executive director for clinical services and chief nursing officer at the OSUCCC – James. “This collaboration will be mutually beneficial as we help our colleagues adopt Magnet principles while also contributing to our own Magnet requirements for research.

“Extending our global reach and influence through this type of helpful engagement is yet another step toward fulfilling our vision of a cancer-free world.”