American Nurses Credentialing Center Research Articles

Preceptor Development: Using the American Nurses Credentialing Center Outcome-Based Continuing Education Model©.

Preceptors play a vital role in shaping the growth of every nurse. Effective preceptors lead to better patient outcomes as new nurses are better equipped to deliver high-quality care under the guidance of experienced mentors. Providing a supportive preceptor experience increases job satisfaction and retention rates among new and tenured nurses, ultimately benefiting health care organizations. When designing preceptor development programs, health care institutions should incorporate the Outcome-Based Continuing Education Model© (OB-CE Model©) from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. This column explores how to use the OB-CE Model© to enhance the competency and human skills of preceptors as learners, thereby fostering their development effectively. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(5):212-216.].

The Relationship Between Healthcare Organizational Magnet® Status and Scores on the Human Rights Campaign Healthcare Equality Index: A Comparative Temporal Analysis

The Human Rights Campaign's annual Healthcare Equality Index (HEI) evaluates participating organizations' (n = 906) treatment of LGBTQ+ employees and clients. Higher HEI scores reflect greater equitable treatment of LGBTQ+ persons, a mark of merit for the organization. The American Nurses Credentialing Center recognizes nursing excellence in healthcare organization by designating them Magnet® institutions (n = 612). Blackwell and colleagues showed a significant relationship between organizational HEI scores and recognition as Magnet®. The purpose of this study was to determine if this relationship changed between 2018 and 2022. Chi-square tests analyzed statistical relationships between aggregate HEI score as well as each sub-criterion within the HEI, and the organization's Magnet® status. HEI score and Magnet® status-maintained association (p = <.001). Three of four individual scoring criteria were also related to Magnet® recognition, an improvement from just one of the criteria in 2018. Organizations with greater commitment to LGBTQ+ equality continue to be associated with Magnet® recognition, suggesting a continued commitment to healthcare excellence. Future research should focus analysis efforts across the same organizations between HEI and Magnet® data collection points and assess LGBTQ+-inclusive care and employment practices and organizational nursing excellence with tools external to the HEI and Magnet® recognition.

Advancing Nursing Practice: The Evolution and Impact of Continuing Professional Development.

American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Accreditation in Nursing Continuing Professional Development (NCPD) emphasizes the importance of maintaining competence, ensuring patient safety, and supporting career advancement in nursing through learning and development. It underscores the shift toward competency-based and outcome-oriented education models, addressing challenges such as misconceptions about the demands of NCPD and focusing more on the impact. This column provides the "why" for organizations, leaders, and nurses to engage in ANCC accredited NCPD educational programs. It further explores a future where NCPD fosters a skilled, equitable, and diverse health care workforce, promoting transformational learning experiences. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(4):153-156.].

Strategies for incorporating evidence-based practice into nurse residency programs: A scoping review.

The American Nurses Credentialing Center's (ANCC's) Practice Transition Accreditation Program (PTAP) establishes standards for nurse residency programs to elevate and optimize the skills, knowledge, and attitudes of new nurses participating in nurse residency programs. Evidence-based practice (EBP) is foundational to providing safe nursing care. One of the National Academy of Medicine's (NAM's) 2020 goals stated that 90% of clinical decisions would be supported by the best available evidence to attain the best patient outcomes. Nurse residency programs can benefit from evidence-based strategies to develop EBP competencies in new nurses. The purpose of this scoping review was to synthesize the literature around strategies for incorporating EBP into nurse residency programs across the United States. This scoping review was informed by the JBI (formerly known as the Joanna Briggs Institute) methodology for scoping reviews. Searches were conducted by a health science librarian in PubMed and CINAHL with Full Text. Keywords and their synonyms, Medical Subject Headings (MeSH; PubMed), and Subject Headings (CINAHL with Full Text) were used. Covidence, a literature review management program, was used to organize the literature and manage the review. Title, abstract, and full-text reviews were completed within Covidence using three teams of two independent reviewers. Four hundred and thirty-eight citations were imported into Covidence. Ten articles were retained for the final review. Three strategies for incorporating EBP into nurse residency programs emerged from the literature: (1) exposure of nurse residents to existing organizational resources, (2) completion of online EBP modules, and (3) completion of an EBP project. The incorporation of EBP competencies in nurse residency programs aligns with NAM's and ANCC's goals, yet a paucity of evidence exists to guide curriculum development in nurse residency programs. This scoping review corroborates the need for further research to inform best practices for implementing EBP into nurse residency programs.

Celebrating Magnet® Nursing Excellence-Meet the Recipients of the 2023 National Magnet Nurse of the Year® Awards and ANCC Magnet Prize®.

This month's Magnet® Perspectives column spotlights the recipients of the 2023 American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet Program® National Magnet Nurse of the Year® (MNOY) awards and the ANCC Magnet Prize®, sponsored by Press Ganey, recognized during the colocated ANCC National Magnet Conference® and the ANCC Pathway to Excellence Conference® in Chicago, Illinois, October 12 to 14, 2023. The MNOY awards recognize 5 clinical nurses in Magnet designated organizations who demonstrate outstanding contributions in innovation, consultation, leadership, and professional risk taking. The ANCC Magnet Prize, sponsored by Press Ganey, recognizes a Magnet organization whose nursing team spearheaded exemplary achievements including initiative(s) in healthcare delivery and research leading to innovations in patient care services. Press Ganey sponsors the Magnet Prize by providing a $125 000 purse to further develop and advance its innovative program/project.

Magnet Recognition® and Pathway to Excellence®, Complementary Programs.

The American Nurses Credentialing Center® (ANCC) provides healthcare organizations with 2 complementary programs: Magnet Recognition Program® and Pathway to Excellence®. Both programs support nurses in providing the best care. Understanding each program's framework and focus allows organizations to choose which program is the best fit. Nursing is searching for solutions, the ANCC's Magnet Recognition®, and the Pathway to Excellence® programs offer evidence-based frameworks to support professional nursing practice. The frameworks result in improved nurse engagement, retention, interprofessional collaboration, nurse and patient safety, and patient outcomes.

2023: A Year in Review.

In 2023, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Nursing Continuing Professional Development (NCPD) and Transition to Practice Directors highlighted the ever-changing professional development environment. This column highlights this year's key topics: academic and practice partnerships, workforce development, updated accreditation standards, and mentoring. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2023;54(12):545-547.].

Experience of New Graduate Nurses in Nurse Residency Programs During the COVID-19 World Pandemic.

Individuals who entered any nursing program during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) world pandemic were exposed to a different and chaotic learning environment. The goal of this study was to describe the experience of 452 new graduate nurses (NGNs) who entered the profession between 2020 and 2022. This study was a qualitative thematic analysis of an open-ended survey from the American Nurses Credentialing Center Practice Transition Accreditation Program® (PTAP®). The thematic analysis resulted in five themes: the pandemic was a significant disruptor, the program was a generally negative experience, the quality of the preceptors and mentors made a difference, the content of the program made an impact, and the residency program prepared NGNs for the RN role by building confidence and promoting relationship building and a sense of community. The 2020-2022 world pandemic created a challenging environment for NGNs to enter nursing and had implications for practice. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(2):87-93.].

Symptom Management Among Multiple Sclerosis Care Partners in Canada

CE INFORMATION ACTIVITY AVAILABLE ONLINE: To access the article and evaluation online, go to https://www.highmarksce.com/mscare. TARGET AUDIENCE: The target audience for this activity is physicians, advanced practice clinicians, nursing professionals, social workers, and other health care providers involved in the management of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Characterize the type, number, and frequency of symptoms MS care partners manage. Describe the level of symptom management difficulty in the caregiving role and types of support preferred by MS care partners. ACCREDITATION: In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) and Intellisphere, LLC. The CMSC is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the health care team. This activity was planned by and for the health care team, and learners will receive 0.5 Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credit for learning and change. PHYSICIANS: The CMSC designates this journal-based activity for a maximum of 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. NURSES: The CMSC designates this enduring material for 0.5 contact hour of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) (none in the area of pharmacology). PSYCHOLOGISTS: This activity is awarded 0.5 CE credit. SOCIAL WORKERS: As a Jointly Accredited Organization, the CMSC is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. Social workers completing this course receive 0.5 general continuing education credit. DISCLOSURES: It is the policy of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers to mitigate all relevant financial disclosures from planners, faculty, and other persons that can affect the content of this CE activity. For this activity, all relevant disclosures have been mitigated. Francois Bethoux, MD, editor in chief of the International Journal of MS Care (IJMSC), has served as physician planner for this activity. He and Alissa Mary Willis, MD, associate editor of IJMSC, have disclosed no relevant financial relationships. Authors; Katherine L. Cardwell, BHSc; Taylor A. Hume, BHSc; Odessa J. McKenna, MSc; Lara A. Pilutti, PhD; and Afolasade Fakolade, PhD, have disclosed no relevant financial relationships. The staff at IJMSC, CMSC, and Intellisphere, LLC who are in a position to influence content have disclosed no relevant financial relationships. Laurie Scudder, DNP, NP, continuing education director CMSC, has served as a planner and reviewer for this activity. She has disclosed no relevant financial relationships. METHOD OF PARTICIPATION: Release Date: November 1, 2023; Valid for Credit through: November 1, 2024 To receive CE credit, participants must: (1) Review the continuing education information, including learning objectives and author disclosures.(2) Study the educational content.(3) Complete the evaluation, which is available at https://www.highmarksce.com/mscare. Statements of Credit are awarded upon successful completion of the evaluation. There is no fee to participate in this activity. DISCLOSURE OF UNLABELED USE: This educational activity may contain discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not approved by the FDA. The CMSC and Intellisphere, LLC do not recommend the use of any agent outside of the labeled indications. The opinions expressed in the educational activity are those of the faculty and do not necessarily represent the views of the CMSC or Intellisphere, LLC. DISCLAIMER: Participants have an implied responsibility to use the newly acquired information to enhance patient outcomes and their own professional development. The information presented in this activity is not meant to serve as a guideline for patient management. Any medications, diagnostic procedures, or treatments discussed in this publication should not be used by clinicians or other health care professionals without first evaluating their patients’ conditions, considering possible contraindications or risks, reviewing any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparing any therapeutic approach with the recommendations of other authorities.

Exploring Nurses' Perceptions of Specialty Certification.

The strategic nursing plan for a large Midwestern health care system includes achievement of the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Magnet® recognition for all their hospitals. This study explored the barriers to and perceived value of certification among nurses employed by the same health care system across eight facilities in a metropolitan region. One of these facilities holds Magnet® recognition. Subjects were recruited by direct email to collect demographic data and complete a barrier to certification survey and the Perceived Value of Certification Tool-12. There were statistically significant differences in the perception that lack of institutional support is a barrier to certification both in aggregate and when comparing the Magnet® hospital with the others. As an initial exploration into barriers and perceived value, this study provides data for this health care system to plan strategies to promote certification. This study also serves as an exemplar for other organizations considering evaluation of certification barriers and value among their nursing staff. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2023;54(12):567-573.].

2024 American Nurses Credentialing Center Practice Transition Accreditation Program Manual Updates.

2024 American Nurses Credentialing Center Practice Transition Accreditation Program Manual Updates.

Call to Action: Leveraging American Nurses Credentialing Center Nursing Continuing Professional Development Credit for Prior Learning Assessment-Part 1.

American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Accreditation in Nursing Continuing Professional Development (NCPD) provides rigorous and objective evidence of the quality of education that supports nursing professional practice. Accredited, competency-based education (CBE) that is outcome driven demonstrates the value of education to the nurse, to the profession, and to the patient. The ANCC as a global standard setter and innovator in NCPD has led this effort with the inception of the OB-CE Model©. Further, the ANCC has created a vision for CBE to be a preferred method for educational design and learner assessment for change. The ANCC NCPD accreditation program has led the charge for academic institutions to rethink their position on CBE and acceptance of accredited NCPD as evidence of prior learning for academic credit. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2023;54(8):341-343.].

Bariatric Surgery and Pregnancy

Dr. Cervino is a Resident, and Dr. Dang is an Instructor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University/Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, 101 Dudley St, Providence, RI 02905; E-mail: [email protected]. All authors, faculty, and staff have no relevant financial relationships with any ineligible organizations regarding this educational activity. CME Accreditation Lippincott Continuing Medical Education Institute, Inc., is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Lippincott Continuing Medical Education Institute, Inc., designates this enduring material for a maximum of 2.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. To earn CME credit, you must read the CME article and complete the quiz and evaluation on the enclosed answer form, answering at least seven of the 10 quiz questions correctly. Please visit http://cme.lww.com. This CME activity expires at 5 pm EST on July 30, 2025. NCPD Accreditation Lippincott Professional Development is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. Lippincott Professional Development will award 2.5 contact hours for this NCPD activity. This activity is also provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP 11749 for 2.5 contact hours. Lippincott Professional Development is also an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the District of Columbia, Georgia, West Virginia, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Florida, CE Broker #50-1223. Your certificate is valid in all states. Instructions for earning ANCC contact hours are included on page 11 of the newsletter. This NCPD activity expires on June 5, 2026.

Use of the Levonorgestrel Intrauterine Device for Noncontraceptive Indications

Dr. Rajprohat is a Resident, and Dr. Dang is an Instructor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University/Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, 101 Dudley St, Providence, RI 02905; E-mail: [email protected]. All authors, faculty, and staff have no relevant financial relationships with any ineligible organizations regarding this educational activity. CME Accreditation Lippincott Continuing Medical Education Institute, Inc., is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Lippincott Continuing Medical Education Institute, Inc., designates this enduring material for a maximum of 2.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. To earn CME credit, you must read the CME article and complete the quiz and evaluation on the enclosed answer form, answering at least seven of the 10 quiz questions correctly. Please visit http://cme.lww.com. This CME activity expires at 5 pm EST on July 14, 2025. NCPD Accreditation Lippincott Professional Development is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. Lippincott Professional Development will award 2.0 contact hours for this NCPD activity. This activity has been assigned 2.0 pharmacology credits. This activity is also provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP 11749 for 2.0 contact hours. Lippincott Professional Development is also an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the District of Columbia, Georgia, West Virginia, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Florida, CE Broker #50-1223. Your certificate is valid in all states. Instructions for earning ANCC contact hours are included on page 11 of the newsletter. This NCPD activity expires on June 5, 2026.

The Enduring Power of Magnet®.

More than 3 decades have passed since an enterprising team of nurse researchers unearthed groundbreaking findings that led to the creation of the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Magnet Recognition Program®. Over time, the program has grown bigger and broader than anyone could predict, making a significant impact on nurses, the nursing profession, and healthcare delivery around the world. After the recent upheavals caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, is Magnet® still relevant today? This month's Magnet Perspectives column examines the program's enduring significance and proven value in supporting nurses and helping healthcare organizations navigate the financial, labor, and regulatory challenges of the post-COVID era.

Management of Simple Ovarian Cysts

Dr. Chafitz is a Resident, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, NJ 07601, E-mail: [email protected]; Dr. Chemerinski is a Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Fellow, Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey; and Dr. McGovern is Associate Professor, Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, and University Reproductive Associates, Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey. All authors, faculty, and staff have no relevant financial relationships with any ineligible organizations regarding this educational activity. CME Accreditation Lippincott Continuing Medical Education Institute, Inc., is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Lippincott Continuing Medical Education Institute, Inc., designates this enduring material for a maximum of 2.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. To earn CME credit, you must read the CME article and complete the quiz and evaluation on the enclosed answer form, answering at least seven of the 10 quiz questions correctly. Please visit http://cme.lww.com. This CME activity expires on June 29, 2025. NCPD Accreditation Lippincott Professional Development is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. Lippincott Professional Development will award 2.0 contact hours for this NCPD activity. This activity is also provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP 11749 for 2.0 contact hours. Lippincott Professional Development is also an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the District of Columbia, Georgia, West Virginia, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Florida, CE Broker #50-1223. Your certificate is valid in all states. Instructions for earning ANCC contact hours are included on page 11 of the newsletter. This NCPD activity expires on June 5, 2026.

Exploring Microbes in Breast Tumors From Women of Different Races

Exploring Microbes in Breast Tumors From Women of Different Races

Structural Barriers to High-Quality Home Healthcare Nursing: What Home Health Nurses Want Medicare Policy Makers and Agency Administrators to Know

Previous research indicates home health nurses (HHNs) worry that current home health care trends are threatening their ability to provide high-quality nursing care. High-quality nursing requires patient-centered and culture-sensitive care. These 2 attributes are indicators of high-quality nursing care. In this qualitative study, 20 HHNs were interviewed to discover their insights into 2 research questions: What barriers affect HHNs’ ability to provide patient-centered, culture-sensitive, high-quality nursing care and how do these barriers affect HHNs and patients? Participants were professional HHNs who provided skilled intermittent care to diverse patient populations in their homes. Participants believed that a lack of time, high productivity requirements, pay-per-visit compensation, documentation burden, EMR systems, and the “industrialization” of HHNs’ practice create structural barriers to high-quality home health nursing. Medicare was perceived as contributing to the barriers with burdensome documentation requirements and regulations that impeded holistic patient-centered care. Nurse participants indicated that the effects of these barriers were nurse stress, burnout, moral distress, and intent to leave; lower patient outcomes and satisfaction; and healthcare disparities. Additional research about the structural barriers were reviewed and found to support the nurses’ perceptions of barriers to high-quality nursing care. In a value-based purchasing system, agencies need to support high-quality nursing care by tackling the barriers to its practice. To address the barriers comprehensively, agencies can institute policies that mirror the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Pathway to Excellence®. Medicare policy makers should examine how present policies adversely affect high-quality nursing care.

Effective and Evolving Treatments for Shoulder Pain in Patients With Spinal Cord Injury

Ms. Dorsey is a student at the Master's Entry into Nursing Program, DePaul University School of Nursing, Chicago, Illinois; and Dr. Saravanan is Assistant Professor, School of Nursing and College of Health and Human Sciences, Northern Illinois University, 1240 Normal Rd, DeKalb, IL 60115; E-mail: [email protected]. The authors, faculty, and staff have no relevant financial relationship with any ineligible organizations regarding this educational activity. CME Accreditation Lippincott Continuing Medical Education Institute, Inc., is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Lippincott Continuing Medical Education Institute, Inc., designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. To earn CME credit, you must read the CME article and complete the quiz and evaluation assessment survey on the enclosed form, answering at least 70% of the quiz questions correctly. Please visit http://cme.lww.com. This CME activity expires at 5 pm EST on May 31, 2025. NCPD Accreditation Lippincott Professional Development is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. Lippincott Professional Development will award 2.0 contact hours for this NCPD activity. This activity is also provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP 11749 for 2.0 contact hours. Lippincott Professional Development is also an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the District of Columbia, Georgia, West Virginia, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Florida, CE Broker #50-1223. Your certificate is valid in all states. Instructions for earning ANCC contact hours are included on page 8 of the newsletter. This NCPD activity expires on March 6, 2026.

Normal and Delayed Puberty in Females

Ms. Kheyfets is a Medical Student, and Dr. French is Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tufts Medical Center, 800 Washington St, Boston, MA 02111; E-mail: [email protected]. All authors, faculty, and staff have no relevant financial relationships with any ineligible organizations regarding this educational activity. CME Accreditation Lippincott Continuing Medical Education Institute, Inc., is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Lippincott Continuing Medical Education Institute, Inc., designates this enduring material for a maximum of 2.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. To earn CME credit, you must read the CME article and complete the quiz and evaluation on the enclosed answer form, answering at least seven of the 10 quiz questions correctly. This CME activity expires on May 29, 2025. NCPD Accreditation Lippincott Professional Development is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. Lippincott Professional Development will award 2.0 contact hours for this NCPD activity. This activity has been assigned 0.5 pharmacology credits. This activity is also provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP 11749 for 2.0 contact hours. Lippincott Professional Development is also an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the District of Columbia, Georgia, West Virginia, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Florida, CE Broker #50-1223. Your certificate is valid in all states. Instructions for earning ANCC contact hours are included on page 11 of the newsletter. This NCPD activity expires on March 6, 2026.