Despite hiring about 100 nurses from its Mercy College of Health Sciences recently, Mercy Medical Center still has about 120 nursing vacancies at its Greater Des Moines facilities.

The nationwide nursing shortage, which is expected to become even more critical within the next five years, is one of the reasons Mercy officials are working toward becoming certified as a “magnet” hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Iowa Health-Des Moines, which includes Iowa Methodist Medical Center, Iowa Lutheran Hospital and Blank Children’s Hospital, is also working toward accreditation.

The designation, which can take up to 18 months to achieve once a formal application is submitted, is currently held by just 169 hospitals nationwide. The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics became the first magnet institution in the state in June 2004, followed by Mercy Medical Center in Dubuque, Alegent Health Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs and, most recently, Iowa Genesis Medical Center in Davenport.

The magnet designation has “been around actually for quite a while, since the early 1980s,” said Jackie Frost-Kunnen, chief nursing officer for Mercy in Des Moines. “But with the nursing shortage … I think it’s seen a resurgence in the last 10 years. So now, Iowa hospitals are getting on board.”

As the name implies, the certification is key to attracting top-caliber nurses, said Jennifer Perry, a spokeswoman for Iowa Health-Des Moines.

“We believe magnet accreditation is important as it is the highest level of recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center and recognizes an organization’s commitment to professional nursing practices,” Perry said. She did not have a timeframe for when Iowa Health expects to achieve certification.

After about 18 months of internal evaluations, Mercy submitted its magnet application during National Nurses Week in May. The hospital’s goal is to have its documentation package – which can be no more than 15 inches thick – ready by November 2006.

To be eligible for the next phase of the program, a site visit, a hospital must score at least 800 out of 1,000 possible points based on its documentation. Hospitals are then considered by the credentialing center’s board, which meets quarterly. Mercy hopes to receive a visit by early 2007.