Practice Environment and Patient Outcomes by ANCC Designation: Insights From NDNQI

Area of Science:

• Nursing Quality
• Healthcare Management
• Patient Safety

Background:

• The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) offers Magnet® and Pathway To Excellence® (PTE) designations to foster nursing excellence.
• Limited research exists on how these ANCC designations impact nursing-sensitive patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare nursing-sensitive patient outcomes among Magnet®, PTE, and non-ANCC designated hospitals.
• To identify potential benefits of ANCC recognition programs on patient care quality.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional comparative analysis was performed.
• Data from the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators® (NDNQI) for 2023 were utilized.

Main Results:

• Magnet® hospitals showed significantly lower fall rates than non-ANCC hospitals (P=0.01).
• PTE hospitals demonstrated significantly lower central line-associated bloodstream infection rates compared to non-ANCC hospitals (P<0.04).
• No significant differences were found for catheter-associated urinary tract infection rates or hospital-acquired pressure injury prevalence.

Conclusions:

• ANCC designations showed inconsistent associations with improved nursing-sensitive patient outcomes in this study.
• Potential sample imbalances across designation groups may explain the lack of consistent differences.