"It's not checking boxes. You can go through the Magnet manual, you can do the gap analysis and see and fix where your gaps might be, but if it's not a culture shift into what the Magnet culture is, you're not going to be successful or be able to sustain your Magnet status." — Paula Blizzard, MSN, RN, NE-BC, senior director of Nursing-Excellence and Magnet Programs at Children’s Mercy

Making sure nurses feel recognized, appreciated and heard—a culture that starts from the top—helped Children's Mercy in Kansas City recently earn its fifth Magnet Recognition®, which recognizes healthcare organizations that provide superior quality in nursing care. This Q&A with the hospital's nurse leadership illustrates how they created the culture.

Programming note: Hello! I'm Carol Davis, HealthLeaders' new Nursing Editor. I look forward to covering all the issues that affect nurses and frontline healthcare workers as we move through the next stages of the pandemic. Please feel free to reach out to me with story ideas. My email is: CDavis@healthleadersmedia.com. I look forward to hearing from you!

Give it a Read

• Los Angeles is running out of oxygen for patients as COVID hospitalizations hit record highs nationwide — The Washington Post
   
• Blue Cross Blue Shield Association suspends donations to lawmakers who opposed Electoral College count — The Hill
   
• COVID-19 vaccines remain elusive for many doctors, healthcare workers— The Wall Street Journal
   
• Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine appears to protect against U.K. and South African COVID-19 strains in lab, study finds — MarketWatch
   
• The next phase of vaccination will be even harder — The Atlantic
   
• Former nurse charged with stealing pain meds from Beverly Hospital — KQED

Check out more healthcare finance stories at HealthLeadersMedia.com/Nursing