By Teresa Hicks
University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing Professor Emerita Patricia A. Patrician, PhD, RN, FAAN, and Assistant Professor and Applied Quantitative Methodologist Aoyjai P. Montgomery, PhD, RN (PhD 2019), are leading a multi-institutional project, “Towards Magnet 3.0: A Systematic Literature Review and Mixed Methods Study,” commissioned by the American Nurses Credentialing Center and recently highlighted at the 2025 ANCC Magnet and Pathway to Excellence Conference™.
This project is led by Patrician, alongside co-principal investigator Sean Clarke, PhD, RN, FAAN, Ursula Springer Professor of Nursing Leadership at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. They are collaborating with Allyson Hall, PhD, Professor in the UAB School of Health Professions and Caitlin Campbell, PhD, RN (PhD 2022), Instructor at Weber State University.
Their research examines the Magnet Model, a framework dating back to 1983, when a task force commissioned by the American Academy of Nursing identified factors that attract and retain nurses. In June 1990, the American Nurses Credentialing Center was incorporated as a subsidiary nonprofit organization of the American Nurses Association to provide credentialing programs and services. In December of that year, the ANA Board of Directors approved the Magnet Hospital Recognition Program for Excellence in Nursing Services, building upon the 1983 magnet hospital study conducted by the AAN.
The Magnet Model, most recently updated in 2008, includes the following components: transformational leadership, exemplary professional practice, structural empowerment, new knowledge, innovations and improvements, and empirical outcomes.
Patrician emphasized the project’s significance, noting, “It’s important at this point to critically appraise the Magnet Model to ensure its standards are firmly grounded in evidence and that Magnet designations are adding value to the organizations.”
The project focuses on key areas such as patient outcomes, nurse work environment, engagement, health care quality and adaptation to the changing health care landscape.
According to Montgomery, the collaboration provides a pathway to evolve the Magnet Model to better meet modern health care needs.
“Through this collaborative research, our team can highlight forward-looking opportunities to refine and modernize the Magnet Model, aligning it with today’s rapidly evolving health care landscape,” Montgomery said. “The findings inform evidence-based recommendations to enhance the Magnet Recognition Program’s value for patients, nurses, organizations and health systems, and to streamline its application process through innovative, data-driven approaches.”
Their work reviews two decades of research and validates findings through surveys and interviews in Magnet and Magnet-Aspiring hospitals, informing updates to the Magnet Model with current evidence, strengthening its global relevance and highlighting strategies that improve patient care while better supporting nurses and care teams.
Through their efforts to refine the Magnet Model, Montgomery and Patrician are helping shape a new era of nursing excellence and high-quality care environments, reflecting the School’s continued commitment to driving innovation and improving health care systems.
This research was commissioned by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. The results, analysis, conclusions and recommendations of the study, recipient, authors and/or researchers are independent of ANCC and do not necessarily reflect the views of ANCC.