Nurse Well-being Drives Patient Satisfaction in Magnet Hospitals

To examine whether adverse nurse job outcomes mediate the relationship between Magnet® designation and quality of care and patient satisfaction.

While Magnet designation is linked to better care quality and patient satisfaction, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.

This cross-sectional study linked 4 datasets: the US Clinician Well-being Study, RN4CAST-NY/IL survey, the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, and the American Hospital Association Annual Survey. The sample included 132 hospitals (60 Magnet, 72 non-Magnet). Outcomes included nurse-reported care quality, likelihood to recommend their hospital, patient safety culture, and patient satisfaction. Mediation analyses assessed the role of nurse job outcomes.

Magnet status was directly associated with better quality and patient satisfaction outcomes, and indirectly through lower job dissatisfaction and work-life imbalance. Burnout did not mediate these relationships.

Nurse well-being plays a vital role in contributing to the relationship between Magnet designation and patient satisfaction.