Beyond the Magnet award: The ANCC Magnet Program as the framework for culture change.

The nursing shortage has turned the national spotlight onto the need to improve the conditions under which nurses work. The American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet Recognition Program offers an evidence-based model for nurse leaders interested in transforming the practice climate. The author describes a community hospital's experience in using the magnet standards as the framework for change. The author describes 5 successful standard-driven strategies that have strengthened department infrastructure and refined processes for retaining a professional nurse workforce.