Receives Six Exemplars from ANCC for Leadership, Structural Empowerment and Professional Practice
(New Brunswick, NJ) - Following a rigorous re-designation process, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) achieved Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for the seventh consecutive time. RWJUH is one of only seven organizations worldwide, and one of only two academic medical centers to achieve this distinction.
During the official notification of the Commission on Magnet’s® unanimous decision to re-designate RWJUH, Commission Chair David R. Marshall, JD, DNP, RN, CENP, NEA-BC, commended the hospital by identifying six exemplars of excellence in nursing practice. The exemplars were:
- Transformational Leadership – for RWJUH Chief Nursing Officer Maureen Harding’s, MSN, BSN, RN exemplary advocacy for and support of nurses’ well-being;
- Structural Empowerment – citing the high percentage of RWJUH nurses who hold professional nursing certifications;
- Structural Empowerment – citing that 86.6% of RWJUH nurses have a baccalaureate degree or higher in nursing;
- Exemplary Professional Practice – three exemplars regarding RWJUH data that exceeds the benchmark for fall injury prevention in ambulatory departments (1), and injury prevention in procedural and surgical settings (2).
RWJUH, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, has held Magnet designation continuously since 1997, retaining its place among an elite group of health care providers. Approximately ten percent of hospitals in the nation have achieved Magnet recognition, which is considered the gold standard of nursing excellence.
“Receiving continuous Magnet recognition for nearly three decades is a truly special legacy of sustained nursing excellence,” said Bill Arnold, Chief Executive Officer of RWJUH. “This milestone reflects how their work continues to advance nursing practice and strengthen care for our patients across the highest level of healthcare services at an academic medical center.”
“RWJUH nurses have proven that the culture and evidence-based practice that is outlined in the ANCC’s Magnet components: transformational leadership, structural empowerment, exemplary professional practice, and new knowledge, innovations and improvements is hardwired in our practice,” said Maureen Harding, MSN, BSN, RN, Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at RWJUH. “This recognition shows that we achieve the goals of the Magnet Recognition Program by promoting excellence in the delivery of nursing care, transforming the work environment to support professional nursing practice, and disseminating best practices in nursing.”
"RWJUH’s seventh consecutive Magnet designation is an extraordinary achievement that reflects not only the excellence of its nursing team, but also RWJBarnabas Health's commitment to advancing nursing practice across our system," said Nancy Holecek, Executive Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, RWJBarnabas Health. "As we continue to invest in our nurses and foster environments where they can thrive, we are raising the standard for compassionate, evidence-based care and helping ensure the highest quality outcomes for the communities who place their trust in us.”
“This historic Magnet designation proves our nurses’ commitment to excellence, teamwork, and providing world-class care to every patient,” said Mark E. Manigan, president and CEO, RWJBarnabas Health. “It is a sign to every patient and family who walks through our doors that they are in the very best of hands.”
In December 2025, RWJUH submitted extensive written documentation demonstrating how the hospital meets Magnet Model standards. After reviewing the documentation, three ANCC appraisers conducted a three-day site visit this past May to validate, verify, and amplify the hospital’s enculturation of the Magnet Model components. This model provides a framework for nursing practice, research, and outcomes measurement that ANCC uses to evaluate applicants.
Longterm analysis of organizations with Magnet recognition has shown that there are measurable benefits, including:
- Improved patient satisfaction
- Lower 30-day mortality and failure to rescue rates.
- Higher job satisfaction among nurses.
Magnet recognition is the hallmark for nursing excellence and is a factor when the public chooses health care organizations.
Six hospitals in the RWJBarnabas Health network hold the prestigious Magnet designation for nursing excellence: Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, Jersey City Medical Center, Monmouth Medical Center, which was awarded elite Magnet with Distinction recognition, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset.
About Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH), an RWJBarnabas Health Facility, is a 724-bed academic medical center in New Brunswick that is New Jersey’s largest academic medical center through its deep partnership with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Rutgers Cancer Institute. RWJUH is home to the Jack & Sheryl Morris Cancer Center and The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, a nationally-ranked 2025-26 Best Children’s Hospital by U.S. News & World Report. RWJUH is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a Best Regional Hospital for 2025-2026 with 19 High Performing Adult Specialties and Conditions. Centers of Excellence include heart and vascular care from minimally invasive heart surgery to transplantation, cancer care, stroke care, neuroscience, orthopedics, pediatrics and women’s health. As the only state-designated Level 1 Adult Trauma Center with a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center in the New Jersey, RWJUH’s campus serves as a national resource in its ground-breaking approaches to emergency preparedness.
For more Information visit us online at www.rwjbh.org/newbrunswick
Peter Haigney
RWJUH Public Relations
(732) 937-8568