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General Veers
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Jun 29, 2010
SGH gains elite status
<!-- by line --> By Judith Tan
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<!-- end left side bar --> <!-- story content : start --> A 14-volume, 38-cm thick report, documenting nursing practice and patient care and safety helped Singapore General Hospital (SGH) clinched the Magnet status. This accreditation from the American Nurses Credentialing Centre (ANCC) places the hospital among the elite five per cent in the world to have achieved this recognition. They include the Mayo Clinic, John Hopkins and Duke University hospitals in the United States and the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Australia.
SGH is also the first hospital in Asia to gain this institutional honour for nursing excellence and leadership. Associate Professor Lim Swee Hia, Director of Nursing at SGH, said this was due to empowering the junior nurses to lead. 'The younger staff or assistant nurses chair eight councils to look into improving standards at the hospital. Some even form small groups for project work and this is encouraged by management,' she added.
The Magnetïc Recognition Programme was developed by ANCC to commend healthcare organisations that provide not only excellent nursing, but also the highest quality of patient care throughout the hospital. A team of surveyors from ANCC visited SGH in February and interacted with nurses, doctors and patients 'to gather evidence of whether we deserve the Magnet�,' Prof Lim said.
