Hospital nurse managers' perspectives of the Magnet Recognition Program using an importance-performance analysis: A quantitative cross-sectional study

Aim: To explore the perspectives of nursing managers in Korean hospitals on the Magnet Recognition Program using importance–performance analysis. Design: A descriptive quantitative cross-sectional design with a survey methodology was used to evaluate nursing managers' perceptions of the Magnet Recognition Program criteria. Methods: After the Magnet Recognition Program's content validity was confirmed, an online survey was administered to 150 nursing managers from 10 hospitals. The results were analysed using importance–performance analysis. Results: The average importance of the questionnaire for the developed Magnet Recognition Program criteria was 3.19 ± 135 and the performance was 2.90 ± 222. Items corresponding to the areas ‘Concentrate here’, ‘Keep up the good work’, ‘Possible overkill’ and ‘Low priority’ were identified using two importance–performance analysis frames. The items corresponding to ‘Concentrate here’ included evidence-based nursing practice, the nursing professional practice model, nurses' participation in improving turnover rate and cases of innovation in nursing. Conclusion: This study highlights areas for improvement within the Magnet Recognition Program as perceived by Korean nursing managers, emphasizing evidence-based practice, professional models and nurses' involvement in turnover reduction and fostering innovation. Public Contribution: To achieve Magnet recognition, hospitals must understand nursing managers' perspectives on the Magnet Recognition Program criteria. This study provides insights into enhancing the work environment for nurses in South Korean hospitals and lays the groundwork for developing effective Magnet certification programs. Introducing the Magnet program into South Korean hospitals may improve the overall nursing work environment and mitigate the serious problem of nursing staff turnover. Reporting Method: The findings were reported using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist.