Congrats! http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=408090

Nurses, doctors and staff crowded inside the atrium at Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield burst into cheers Tuesday, as the hospital won one of the country's most prestigious honors for its nursing program.

Central DuPage earned Magnet designation, the highest honor given by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Only 372 other hospitals - about 6 percent of the total in the U.S. - have earned the distinction.

"They're a little excited," Chief Nursing Officer Deb O'Donnell said through the applause while a conference call announcing the award was broadcast to staff.

The news was so important to O'Donnell, in fact, that she attended the call even though she was having a mild appendix attack and was scheduled for surgery immediately following the announcement.

The Magnet award follows a five-year application process that included thousands of interviews with hospital staff and more than 3,500 pages of documents submitted to evaluators. The award looks at areas like nurses professional practices, leadership and knowledge of new technology.

"I think they must have touch on almost every nurse we have during this process," said Sharon Melbye, executive director of patient care.

Melbye lead the team applying for the honor along with Gina Reid Tinio, director of professional development. Reid Tinio said evaluators interviewed not only nurses, but also doctors, volunteers and even community leaders to see if Central DuPage deserved the kudos.

"They were really trying to ask, 'Hey, are your nurses as good as they say?'" she said.

Both women insist the nurses are, indeed, that good and have been for years. The award is just the "report card" to evaluate their through care for patients that has always been in place, they say.

"This is what we live and breathe every day," said Melbye. "This is us."

Now that Central DuPage is a Magnet hospital, staff still can't rest on their laurels. The hospital will have to reapply for the honor in 2014 and work and programs for this process are already beginning. Melbye said the standards will become even more rigorous the next time around.

"The journey has just begun and the bar will be set higher every time," Melbye said.