Why Magnet® Hospitals Matter & Why Travel Clinicians Want to Be There

The Magnet Recognition Program® represents the highest honor a healthcare facility can achieve for nursing excellence. Awarded by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), Magnet designation is a rigorous validation of a hospital’s culture, outcomes, leadership, and commitment to superior patient care.

While Magnet recognition is meaningful for full-time staff, it also carries tremendous value for travel clinicians and the agencies that support them. In fact, Magnet hospitals are some of the most sought-after assignments in the staffing industry and for good reason.

What is Magnet® designation?

Magnet designation is the ANCC’s gold standard for nursing excellence and organizational quality.

To achieve Magnet status, hospitals must demonstrate:

• Transformational Leadership: Exceptional quality and management style

• Structural Empowerment: A strong, empowered professional practice environment

• Exemplary Professional Practice: Professional practice model, autonomy, nurses as teachers, strong inter-disciplinary relationships

• New Knowledge, Innovation and Improvements: Advance patient care and the science of nursing through a commitment to ongoing improvement and innovation 

• Empirical Quality Results: Benchmark-leading clinical outcomes; High levels of nurse satisfaction and engagement

Earning Magnet status is demanding and requires a dedicated culture and organizational commitment. Maintaining it is even harder. Hospitals must undergo redesignation every four years, proving that excellence is sustained and continually strengthened.

How rare is Magnet® recognition?

Magnet designation is prestigious and exclusive.

• The ANCC has recognized nearly 650 hospitals worldwide for nursing excellence.

• Only 112 hospitals have achieved five or more Magnet designations.

• That’s less than 2% of the nation’s 6,093 hospitals that have reached this milestone even once, let alone five times.

In 2024 and 2025, 24 hospitals earned their fifth Magnet designation, joining this elite group.

This consistency shows that these facilities don’t just meet standards—they embody them, delivering safe, high-quality patient care and fostering a committed, satisfied nursing team.

Why Magnet® hospitals appeal to travel clinicians

For travel nurses, Magnet hospitals offer clear advantages:

1. High-Quality, Safe Patient Care

• Travelers want to work in environments where systems, staffing, resources, and leadership support safe and effective care.

• Magnet hospitals consistently demonstrate stronger patient outcomes, lower mortality, and fewer adverse events.

Read, ‘What Earns a 5-star Facility Rating from Travel Clinicians?’ ⁠

2. Positive Workplace Culture

• Magnet designation signifies that there is a commitment to nursing

• Magnet facilities are known for collaborative inter-professional relationships, strong emphasis on communication, and empowered clinical staff.

• Travelers report relationships with leadership and the team as a top predictor of assignment contentment.

Image source: Nomad Health: What Earns a 5-star Facility Rating from Travel Clinicians?

3. Professional Growth

• Magnet facilities value continuous learning and professional growth for their clinicians.

• Travelers working in these high-caliber environments often strengthen their skill sets, marketability, and confidence.

4. Resume Prestige

• A Magnet assignment is a powerful designation..

• Agencies and hospitals recognize that clinicians who thrive in Magnet environments have practiced at top-performing institutions.

5. Consistent Standards Across the Country

ANCC Magnet-recognized organizations offer travel clinicians opportunities to work at the forefront of nursing excellence, innovation, and patient care while engaging with globally recognized standards and practices.

Why Magnet® matters to staffing agencies

Healthcare staffing organizations benefit as well:

• Attracting Top Talent: High-quality clinicians seek high-performing workplaces.

• Reduced Assignment Issues: Strong cultures lead to smoother onboarding and fewer escalations.

• Better Outcomes for Clients: Quality care from skilled clinicians enhances hospitals’ metrics and patient satisfaction.

Magnet hospitals and Nomad travel clinicians share a common goal: delivering exceptional, safe patient care.

Hospitals with five or more Magnet® designations

Below is the full list of 112 hospitals that have achieved five or more Magnet designations, organized by state (as provided).  Data reference: Becker’s Clinical Leadership 

Alabama

• UAB Hospital (Birmingham) — 6

Arizona

• Banner-University Medical Center Phoenix — 5

• HonorHealth John C. Lincoln Medical Center (Phoenix) — 5

California

• Providence St. Joseph Hospital Orange — 5

• Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (Los Angeles) — 6

• Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian (Newport Beach) — 5

• Providence Holy Cross Medical Center (Mission Hills) — 5

• Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center (Los Angeles) — 5

• Stanford Health Care — 5

• UCI Health (Orange) — 5

• Valley Children’s Healthcare (Madera) — 5

Colorado

• UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital (Fort Collins) — 6

• UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital (Aurora) — 6

Connecticut

• Middlesex Health (Middletown) — 6

District of Columbia

• MedStar Georgetown University Hospital — 5

Florida

• Baptist Hospital of Miami — 6

• Baptist Health South Miami Hospital — 5

• Nicklaus Children’s Hospital (Miami) — 5

• Sarasota Memorial Health Care System — 5

• Tampa General Hospital — 5

• UF Health Shands Hospital (Gainesville) — 5

Georgia

• Candler Hospital (Savannah) — 6

• Emory St. Joseph’s Hospital (Atlanta) — 7

Idaho

• St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center (Boise) — 6

Illinois

• Advocate Christ Medical Center (Oak Lawn) — 5

• Advocate Lutheran General Hospital (Park Ridge) — 5

• Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago — 6

• Carle Health Methodist Hospital (Peoria) — 5

• Endeavor Health Edward Hospital (Naperville) — 5

• Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital (Geneva) — 5

• OSF HealthCare St. Francis Medical Center (Peoria) — 5

• OSF St. Anthony Medical Center (Rockford) — 5

• Rush University Medical Center (Chicago) — 6

• Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (Chicago) — 5

Indiana

• Goshen Hospital — 5

• Indiana University Health, Methodist, University Hospitals (Indianapolis) — 5

• Riley Children’s Health (Indianapolis) — 5

Iowa

• MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center — 5

• University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (Iowa City) — 5

Kentucky

• Baptist Health Lexington — 5

Louisiana

• East Jefferson General Hospital (Metairie) — 5

• Ochsner Medical Center New Orleans — 5

Maryland

• The Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore) — 5

Massachusetts

• Baystate Medical Center (Springfield) — 5

• Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Boston) — 5

• Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston) — 5

• Winchester Hospital — 5

Michigan

• Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital (Royal Oak) — 5

Minnesota

• Mayo Clinic Rochester — 7

• St. Cloud Hospital — 5

Missouri

• Barnes-Jewish Hospital (St. Louis) — 5

• Boone Health (Columbia) — 5

• Children’s Mercy Kansas City — 6

• St. Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City — 5

Nebraska

• CHI Health St. Elizabeth (Lincoln) — 5

• Nebraska Methodist Hospital (Omaha) — 5

New Jersey

• Atlantic Health CentraState Medical Center (Freehold) — 6

• AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center (Atlantic City) — 5

• Capital Health (Trenton) — 5

• Englewood Hospital — 5

• Hackensack Meridian Hackensack University Medical Center — 7

• Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center (Neptune) — 6

• Hackensack Meridian Ocean University Medical Center (Brick) — 6

• Hackensack Meridian Raritan Bay Medical Center/Old Bridge Medical Center — 5

• Hackensack Meridian Riverview Medical Center (Red Bank) — 6

• Morristown Medical Center — 6

• Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (New Brunswick) — 6

• St. Peter’s University Hospital (New Brunswick) — 7

• St. Joseph’s University Medical Center (Paterson) — 6

• The Valley Hospital (Paramus) — 5

New York

• Hospital for Special Surgery (New York City) — 5

• Huntington Hospital-Northwell Health — 5

• Mount Sinai Hospital (New York City) — 5

• NYU Langone Hospitals (New York City) — 5

• Rochester General Hospital — 5

• Saratoga Hospital (Saratoga Springs) — 5

• St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center (Roslyn) — 5

• University of Rochester Medical Center/Strong Memorial Hospital — 5

North Carolina

• Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center (Winston-Salem) — 5

Ohio

• Cleveland Clinic — 5

• Mercy Health Youngstown-St. Joseph Warren Hospital — 5

• Nationwide Children’s Hospital (Columbus) — 5

• OhioHealth Grant Medical Center — 5

• OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital (Columbus) — 5

• University Hospital and Ross Heart Hospital at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center — 5

Oregon

• Providence St. Vincent Medical Center (Portland) — 6

Pennsylvania

• Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia — 5

• Fox Chase Cancer Center (Philadelphia) — 6

• Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) — 5

• Lehigh Valley Hospital (Allentown) — 5

• Penn Medicine-Lancaster General Hospital — 5

Rhode Island

• Newport Hospital — 5

• The Miriam Hospital (Providence) — 7

South Dakota

• Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center (Sioux Falls) — 6

• Sanford USD Medical Center (Sioux Falls) — 5

Texas

• Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center (Houston) — 6

• Baylor University Medical Center (Dallas) — 5

• Dell Children’s Medical Center (Austin) — 5

• Houston Methodist Hospital — 5

• Medical City Dallas and Medical City Children’s Hospital — 5

• Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (Houston) — 5

• Texas Children’s Hospital (Houston) — 5

• Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth — 5

• University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston) — 6

Vermont

• Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (Bennington) — 5

Virginia

• Carilion Clinic Roanoke Campus — 5

• Centra Lynchburg General Hospital — 5

• Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center (Richmond) — 5

Washington

• University of Washington Medical Center (Seattle) — 7

West Virginia

• West Virginia University Hospitals (Morgantown) — 5

Wisconsin

• Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center (Milwaukee) — 6

• Children’s Wisconsin (Milwaukee) — 5

The bottom line

Magnet designation is more than an award; it represents a standard of excellence in nursing care. Travel clinicians taking assignments at Magnet hospitals can experience strong support and the chance to deliver the highest-quality patient care with strong leadership and, organizational culture that supports innovation. Magnet hospitals raise the bar, and travelers who work there rise with it.

Related Reading

• Evidence-Based Communication Saves Lives
• Floating with Confidence: Addressing Competency and Safety Concerns Professionally
• Nurse on the Move? Your Guide to the New 60-Day Rule

References

• American Nurses Credentialing Center. ANCC Magnet Recognition Program® https://www.nursingworld.org/organizational-programs/magnet/
• Drenkard, Karen Neil PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN. The Business Case for Magnet® Designation: Using Data to Support Strategy. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration 52(9):p 452-461, September 2022. | DOI: 10.1097/NNA.0000000000001182
• McHugh MD, Kelly LA, Smith HL, Wu ES, Vanak JM, Aiken LH. Lower mortality in magnet hospitals. Med Care. 2013 May;51(5):382-8. doi: 10.1097/MLR.0b013e3182726cc5. PMID: 23047129; PMCID: PMC3568449.