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

Aims The aim of this study was to compare nurse outcomes and perceptions of the practice environment among Magnet®‐designated, Pathway to Excellence (PTE)–designated, and non‐ANCC hospitals using hospital‐level data from the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators® (NDNQI®) database. Background The nursing workforce is currently facing prolonged burnout, fatigue, and increased levels of turnover, resulting in nurse leaders reexamining what drives experience, safety, and quality of care. Pursuing nursing excellence credentials such as Magnet and PTE represents a strategic effort to address these issues and enhance the nurse practice environments and advance clinical and patient outcomes. Methods This study employed a cross‐sectional design to compare nurse outcomes and practice environment perceptions across three hospital groups: Magnet‐designated, PTE‐designated, and non‐ANCC–designated hospitals using 2023 data from the NDNQI® RN Survey data. Results The RN Survey data sample included 26 PTE facilities, 69 Magnet organizations, and 157 non‐ANCC–designated hospitals. Significant differences were identified across hospital designation groups in RN reported measures, specifically for both PTE facilities, and Magnet organizations significantly outperformed non‐ANCC–designated hospitals. Conclusions Although PTE and Magnet programs have differing paths to designation, both programs emphasize the importance of quality practice environments to support professional nursing practice. Nurse leaders must prioritize maintaining and optimizing healthy work environments.