The Queen's Medical Center has become the first Hawaii hospital to achieve "magnet" status from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, Queen's announced today.

Only 5 percent of the nation's approximately 6,000 hospitals have achieved magnet status, said Art Ushijima, Queen's president and chief executive officer.

"It really, truly is the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval for patient care," Ushijima said. "The designation is formal recognition of our excellence in patient care."

Queen's application included a stack of documents 15 inches high and included a three-day site visit in January from credentialing representatives from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

The designation recognizes Queen's efforts in nursing excellence and will help attract new nurses. But, more importantly, the designation will help keep nurses already on staff, Ushijima said.

"Those hospitals that have achieved magnet designation have really had very successful recruitment efforts, but importantly retention rates," Ushijima said.

The magnet award was created after a 1983 study by the American Academy of Nurses found that certain hospitals had exceptional staff retention rates, high job satisfaction and a high level of patient satisfaction. Researchers then came up with "14 Forces of Magnetism" that they felt defined exceptional hospitals.

In a statement today, registered nurse Cindy Kamikawa, vice president of nursing and chief nursing officer for Queen's, said, "The Magnet status award recognizes nursing excellence but it truly recognizes the excellent work that is being done through The Queen's Medical Center. Every one of our employees from every department in the hospital works together as a team to provide the best healthcare we can for the people of Hawaii."