Published: May 11, 2016
Nurses at Sparrow Clinton Hospital in St. Johns have a special reason to celebrate National Nurses Week this year. Their hospital has earned the Pathway to Excellence® designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), becoming the only hospital in Michigan to gain the honor.
The Pathway to Excellence® designation confirms quality initiatives used to create a positive work environment where Nurses can flourish. The designation substantiates the professional satisfaction of Nurses at Sparrow Clinton Hospital and identifies it as one of the best hospitals to work in the nation.
“Pathway is truly meaningful recognition for Nurses, by Nurses,” says Sparrow Clinton Hospital Vice President of Patient Care and Chief Nursing Officer Beth Ann Daugherty, BSN, RN, MPH, CRRN. “While nursing has been the catalyst, achieving designation as a Pathway to Excellence® hospital reflects the quality of our organization as a whole. We could not have begun this journey without the support of every Caregiver in each department.”
Pathway to Excellence® designation is granted based on 12 practice standards and 91 elements of performance. Applicants must successfully undergo a thorough review process that documents quality initiatives — as defined by Nurses and supported by research – that lead to a positive workplace. These initiatives must be present in the facility’s practices, policies, and culture. Nurses in the organization provide input in a confidential online survey.
Sparrow Clinton Hospital Nurses invested more than 2,000 hours in building their application. The 922-page document fills a five-inch binder and weighs a hefty 11 pounds.
“It’s been a phenomenal journey from start to finish,” adds Daugherty. “Our frontline Nurses wrote the content for our application. Our nursing leaders consulted on and reviewed every page. We worked a lot of late nights and weekends. But, the experience developed great momentum, and has generated enormous enthusiasm throughout the organization and across disciplines. Achieving designation was the icing on the cake.”
A delegation of Sparrow Clinton Nurses attended the recent ANCC Pathway to Excellence® conference in Philadelphia, Penn., where they received recognition from their peers.
Choose Wisely. Choose Sparrow.