Abstract
Staff nurses in 14 magnet hospitals identified 8 attributes associated with the original concept of magnetism as essential to their ability to give quality care. The 8 Essentials of Magnetism (EOM) tool was generated from participant observation and interviews with 289 magnet hospital staff nurses. The psychometric properties of the EOM tool were established in a study involving 3602 staff nurses in 16 magnet and 10 nonmagnet hospitals. The authors discuss the EOM tool and its use in diagnosing elements needed in the environment to produce what staff nurses say is essential for productivity of quality patient care.