When stumbling blocks turn into steppingstones – experiences from the ANCC Magnet/Pathway Conference 2022

by ​David Sparv, PhD, CNO, Skane University Hospital & Donna Grochow MSN, RNC-NIC, WCC

​October 12th, 2022. As the plane touch down at the Philadelphia International Airport, it´s all the sudden feels like the years of 2020-2022 is merely dark memories in the back of our head. For the first time after the pandemic, a group of nurses have been travelling all the way from the southernmost part of Sweden to the ANCC Magnet/Pathway conference with the aim to bring back experiences and knowledge to continue to implement the Magnet principles at Skåne University Hospital, the third largest university hospital in Sweden. 

---

With the feeling of a solid support from the hospital board and a thriving twinning partnership with UCI Health, Ca, USA, our expectations are high, and is met already in the grand opening ceremony featuring 11 000 proud nurses in one gigantic hall. One of my colleagues from the hospital board turns to me and say, “if we could bring only 10% of this energy and pride to Sweden, that would mean the world”.

​
During the three-day conference, in the hive of symposiums of shared governance, excellence in nursing and nursing-sensitive indicators, the feeling grows stronger. ​The challenge of nursing is global, which becomes very clear to us during the on-site visit at the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in downtown Philadelphia. Despite issues with infrastructure and working environment with staff shortage and inner-city demographics, the importance and pride to be nurses can´t be mistaken. One of the CNS tells us “It´s all about autonomy and integrity you know. If you build a solid foundation of shared decision making, clinical nurses will feel appreciated and acknowledged, it´s not that hard”.

---

The importance of shared governance and autonomy will be a recurring theme during our visit at the US east coast. In a Magnet4Europe session where we got the opportunity to present our work together with our friends from UCI Health, it becomes very clear for me how important these factors are, and the road forward becomes much straighter. In our partnership, we have certainly faced challenge, but in the light of the outcome today, where we are right in the middle of building a structure of shared governance in our hospital with the support and aid of UCI Health, it is obvious that the power of nursing, the impact of setting a common goal and, not the least, experiences of the absolutely amazing ANCC Magnet/Pathway conference are strong enough to turn stumbling blocks into steppingstones. 

---