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The Magnet Recognition Program^® recognizes healthcare organizations for quality patient care, interdisciplinary collaboration, nursing excellence, and innovations in professional nursing practice. Developed by American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) — Magnet^® is the leading source of successful evidence-based nursing practices and strategies worldwide.

From Aug. 27-29, UVA Health Prince William Medical Center hosted three Magnet appraisers and one Magnet appraiser candidate, as the final step toward our third Magnet designation. The appraisal process, which occurs every four years, involves intense planning and teamwork, and we want to acknowledge and celebrate the work each one of our team members put into this process. 

As Center of Nursing Excellence Manager Devon Richardson, MSN, RN, CEN, explains, “The success of a Magnet site visit is built on teamwork and collaboration. Open communication, trust, and a shared commitment to excellence allowed our teams to adapt in real time and showcase the outstanding care and culture that define Prince William Medical Center. Our experience reinforced that while the Magnet process evaluates nursing excellence, it is truly the collective efforts of the entire organization that make a successful site visit possible.”

April Morrison, MSN, RN, Director of Nursing Professional Practice, builds on Richardson’s reflections: “Throughout the visit, I was filled with joy and found myself getting goosebumps multiple times as I witnessed and heard the passion, collaboration, and commitment of our teams. The energy was absolutely palpable!"

Strength in Numbers

The visit involved concurrent meetings with clinical nurses, leaders, interdisciplinary teams, and other stakeholder groups; attendance management for each appraiser session; feedback collection from participants after each session; escorting appraisers; providing real-time logistical support to appraisers, participants, and organizational leaders to ensure the visit remained on schedule; and much more.

A total of 59 sessions involved 487 participants. A core team facilitated the Magnet site visit logistics, which included:

• Eight nurses/Nursing Professional Governance Organization (NPGO) team members supported site visit logistics in the Magnet Command Center — troubleshooting, managing rosters, and backfilling roles.
• Three clinical nurses served as guides to the appraisers and supported wayfinding throughout the hospital campus, timekeeping of meetings, and assisted appraisers with additional requests.
• Seven nurses and NPGO team members served as runners — checking on teams or interview session participants for readiness prior to a session and following behind completed sessions for quick debriefs and feedback.

Successfully coordinating the complex logistics of the site visit required a highly organized, collaborative effort. The work was led and supported by the Center of Nursing Excellence (CoNE) team and six dedicated volunteers who served in essential roles, including Magnet Command Center support, pre-session runners, post-session runners, and appraiser guides.

In addition to the CoNE team and volunteers, which included members from Culpeper and Haymarket Medical Centers, the success of the site visit was made possible through the outstanding partnership and support of several key departments: Environmental Services (EVS), Food and Nutrition Services, Health Information Technology (HIT), and Public Safety were instrumental in ensuring a positive and seamless experience for our appraisers and participants. Their teams maintained welcoming and professional meeting environments, coordinated meals and refreshments, provided immediate audiovisual and technical support, and assisted throughout the visit.

“Our Magnet site visit was a rigorous and rewarding experience that highlighted the very best of Prince William Medical Center and UVA Community Health. While the process required months of preparation and the ability to adapt throughout the three-day evaluation, what stood out most was watching our people come together with a shared sense of purpose and pride," says Richardson.

Team Member Feedback and Lessons Learned

Team member feedback on the visit ranges from learning opportunities about process logistics to pride in our teamwork and nursing excellence.  

• “One of the key lessons from our Magnet site visit is that the process is both rigorous and dynamic. Throughout the three-day evaluation — the agenda, logistics, and flow of activities required continuous coordination, adaptability, and flexibility from everyone involved. Team members needed to be prepared to respond quickly to changing circumstances while ensuring the appraisers' needs were met, and each session remained organized and on schedule.”
• “The Magnet meeting was very positive and shined a light on all of the collaborations between ancillary staff and nursing.”
• “I really enjoyed participating in the Magnet site visit. It was a great opportunity to share my experience in the Emergency Department and learn more about how our team’s commitment to quality, teamwork, and professional development contributes to Magnet recognition. The experience made me even prouder to be part of our department and organization.”
• “Our leaders and teams brought great energy and insight to this session. Participants highlighted two standout practices making a real difference for patients: leader rounding and proactive communication …. It was a strong reminder that small, consistent actions from our teams ripple outward into the patient experience.”
• “As a new hire on the floor, attending the Magnet meeting helped me better understand the importance of nursing excellence, teamwork, and continuous quality improvement. The discussions emphasized providing safe, evidence-based, patient-centered care while encouraging nurses to actively participate in improving clinical practice.”
• “I appreciated learning how nurses can contribute to shared governance by exchanging ideas, participating in quality improvement projects, and supporting positive patient outcomes. The meeting also reinforced the value of professional development, lifelong learning, and collaboration among the healthcare team.”

Reflections From Nursing Leadership

Overall, our Magnet site visit reminds us that while Magnet recognizes nursing excellence, achieving that excellence is truly a team effort. Every conversation, every interaction, and every story reflected the culture of collaboration, compassion, innovation, and excellence that makes Prince William Medical Center and UVA Community Health such a special place to work and receive care. Across the board, our nursing leaders reflected on their pride in our team members’ work during this experience. 

"The Magnet site visit was an incredible experience and a powerful reminder of why I am so proud to be part of one of the best nursing teams,” says Morrison. “Working alongside professionals who are continuously striving for nursing excellence is truly inspiring. The Magnet site visit allows our teams to exemplify the outstanding work, dedication, and compassion demonstrated every day.” 

Richardson adds: "The site visit was an incredible experience and one that reaffirmed the strength of our people. While there were learnings throughout the process, I was continually inspired by how our teams showed up, spoke up, and embraced every opportunity to share their stories. You could feel the energy, passion, and pride throughout all three days. It is an honor to serve as our Magnet Program Director and to have the privilege of collecting the stories that reflect the remarkable work of our nurses and interdisciplinary teams.”

Similarly, Chief Nursing Officer Michelle Strider, MBA, RN, CPHQ, reflects, “I could not be prouder of the way our nurses represented UVA Community Health throughout the Magnet survey. Their engagement, enthusiasm, and pride in their practice were evident in every conversation. What the surveyors had the opportunity to see is what our patients and teams experience every day — nurses who are deeply committed to one another, to advancing their profession, and most importantly, to providing exceptional care.”

Adds Prince William Medical Center Associate Chief Nursing Officer Eyad Abdel Latif, RN, MSN, MBA, NEA-BC, LSSGBC: “As I reflect on our Magnet site visit, I am incredibly proud of our team. The visit affirmed what we already know: we are among the best of the best. Our team demonstrated genuine pride in our culture, a strong commitment to living our values, and an unwavering dedication to excellence. As we move beyond the site visit, our work continues. Together, we will continue to transform health and inspire hope — every day, with every patient touch — while caring for one another, our patients, and the communities we are privileged to serve."