Pathway to Excellence designation

Columbus Community Hospital (CCH) was recently designated as a Pathway to Excellence organization through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

The ANCC is a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association (ANA) that promotes excellence in nursing and health care. Its credentialing program, Pathway to Excellence, recognizes health care organizations that commit to creating a positive working environment for nurses.

According to the ANCC, the Pathway to Excellence program is the “premier designation for healthy work environments” that recognizes “health care organizations that demonstrate a commitment to establishing the foundation of a healthy workplace for staff.”

Requirements

Health care organizations that receive Pathway designation have to prove they focus on policies that support nurses in the workplace. They do this through an online nurse survey and application process.

CCH started its Pathway to Excellence application process in 2017.

Through this application process, Pathway to Excellence-designated hospitals have to prove they offer their nurses:

• A safe and healthy work environment.
• Professional development opportunities.
• Competitive wages.
• Recognition for achievements.
• Strong leadership.

They must also prove they have a shared governance structure that allows nurses to be directly involved in decision-making, and practice effective communication that improves conflict management and increases patient safety. Additionally, they must provide a culture of collaboration where a healthy work-life balance is prioritized.

Benefits

Pathway to Excellence hospitals are seen as preferred employers for nurses, which leads to a culture of sustained excellence, the successful recruitment of top candidates and staff retention through high job satisfaction.

Health care organizations that receive Pathway to Excellence designation are regarded as leaders in the field of nursing care. The standards that are used to measure and award Pathway to Excellence designation have also been shown to:

• Improve nurse satisfaction.
• Retain the best staff and nursing leaders.
• Cultivate inter-professional teamwork.
• Champion high-quality nursing practice.
• Support business growth.

“We are honored to have received Pathway to Excellence designation because it speaks to the high-quality working environment we provide, not only for our nurses, but for all of our staff and physicians,” said Mike Hansen, CCH president and CEO. “A positive working environment not only benefits our staff, but it benefits our patients too, because it means we’re able to retain the best and the brightest nurses and staff here in our community.”