A Magnet-Designated Hospital

What is a Magnet hospital? 

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is a Magnet hospital and has received the highest designation a hospital can receive for quality of nursing. The Magnet Recognition Program® helps patients know the quality of nursing care they can expect to receive. Only 10% of hospitals in the United States are Magnet hospitals. The  American Nurses Credentialing Center granted this status to St. Jude in 2015 and again in 2020. 

National studies have found that hospitals achieving Magnet status have:

• Lower patient mortality

• Fewer medical complications 

• Better patient care outcomes

The Magnet Recognition Program recognizes health care organizations that demonstrate excellence in:

• Nursing approach and practice

• Meeting national standards for improving patient care

• Leadership 

• Sensitivity to cultural and ethnic diversity

To be recognized, hospitals undergo a careful evaluation that includes many interviews and reviews of nursing services, clinical outcomes, and patient care. Magnet hospitals must provide a yearly report on quality indicators and how those compare to other similar programs and specialties. These hospitals are evaluated every 4 years to keep their Magnet status.

Nursing leadership

The St. Jude nursing leadership team works in many areas, such as clinical and administrative activities, as well as education and research. The team makes sure that patients receive excellent, compassionate care during their treatment at St. Jude. Meet our nursing leadership team.

Nursing annual report  

Read the nursing annual report to learn how the St. Jude Nursing Department worked to transform patient care this past year.

Division of Nursing Research

The Division of Nursing Research conducts research focused on improving patient care and outcomes. 

Learn more about nursing research clinical trials and clinical research at St. Jude.

Shared governance 

We work from our core values in our nursing practice every day This includes our shared decision-making process, where nurses have a voice in decision-making.  This is known as shared governance. This approach involves our entire nursing team, and is focused on:

• Nursing

• St. Jude mission

• Our vision

• Our priorities

We follow a shared governance structure, which includes:

• An oversight council

• Coordinating committees

• Service line and unit-based councils

• Councils of nurses who directly care for patients

This structure gathers information from leadership, nurses, staff, and patient families to help make important decisions. This shared communication of ideas from direct care providers paves the way for shared decision-making. We aim for continual refinement and excellence in processes that support patient care and optimal health outcomes.

St. Jude is committed to a core set of values that help our patients have the best possible outcomes and receive world-class care. We strive for:

• The highest quality of compassionate care and support

• Honesty, integrity, accountability, and professional behavior

• A culture of excellence, teamwork, safety, and diversity

• Ethical behavior and good stewardship of resources

• Patient family-centered care

• Innovation

• Professional growth 

  Learn more