Triolo Called ‘Star of Highest Magnitude in Nursing’

Recommendations set the course for the future of the national Magnet Recognition Program

Pamela K. Triolo, Ph.D., has received a national commendation for her work in improving the Magnet Recognition Program for hospitals and other health care organizations.

Pamela K. Triolo, Ph.D.

The Magnet Recognition is the highest honor a health care organization can receive for nursing services. The program, administered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), recognizes health care organizations that provide the best in quality patient care and uphold excellence in professional nursing practice.

The ANCC asked Triolo, who is professor of nursing systems at The University of Texas School of Nursing at Houston, to conduct an independent and extensive program evaluation of the Magnet Recognition Program.

She received a standing ovation from the ANCC board earlier this year when she presented “easy-tounderstand, comprehensive findings,” said Jeanne M. Floyd, executive director, in a letter to Patricia L. Starck, D.S.N., dean of the UT School of Nursing. The board immediately voted to support her 22 “evidence-based, practical recommendations.”

“Dr. Triolo is a ‘star’ of the highest magnitude in nursing,” Floyd said. “She is a role model for all of us, most especially students. Through the application of her talents and expertise, she demonstrates the conduct of excellent organizational evaluative research, including the role of the research consultant capable of disseminating persuasive findings and recommendations that serve as a blueprint for successful strategic and business planning. It is remarkable to observe how she is able to move groups of individuals to a point of readiness to support implementation of recommendations.”

The Magnet Recognition Program was established in the early 1980s with research that identified key factors why some hospitals have better outcomes than others, such as: leadership and the role of the chief nurse executive, organizational structure, management style, and professional practice, among others. From this original research, Triolo explained, 14 criteria for nursing excellence were developed to appraise hospitals.

“The recommendations I made were designed to increase the rigor, consistency and credibility of the appraisal process,” Triolo said.

The ANCC board is moving forward quickly to implement her recommendations for strengthening the Magnet Recognition Program.

“Having reached the number of 155 Magnetrecognized facilities with approximately 250 in the applicant phase, it is clear that the Magnet cultural transformation has become the hope of a strong, vibrant future for nursing,” Floyd said.

When Triolo presented her findings to the board, Floyd said, “She told a riveting, interesting story that exposed impeccable research methodology and identified core issues ANCC must address in the next two years. Her presentation was stunning.”

In separate meetings, Triolo also presented research findings to the ANCC Commission on Magnet Recognition and to the Magnet chief nurse officers who attended the 2005 annual national meeting of the American Organization of Nurse Executives.

“In each case, the results were the same. Participants were ready to sign on the dotted line in immediate acceptance of the recommendations,” Floyd said.

The work will be published in the Journal of Nursing Administration in January 2006, and Triolo continues to work with ANCC on strategic planning and execution of the new model for appraising health care organizations.

Triolo joined the School of Nursing in the Fall of 2004. At UT, she developed and now directs the Graduate Program in Nursing Leadership and Administration in Health Systems.

She has 20 years of experience as a hospital executive, 12 years as chief nurse executive for two academic health centers. “The hospital I took to Magnet status was the second largest hospital in the country to achieve Magnet status,” she said.

A Magnet appraiser, Triolo also has extensive experience in program evaluation and regulatory issues, as well as 10 years of service on academic accreditation boards. She has served as chair of a state board of nursing.

Her faculty practice is at the UT M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, where she is director of nursing strategy and innovation and an executive coach.

By Ina Fried, Public Affairs