Select from the following questions
What is the purpose of the Pathway to Excellence® nurse survey?
What kinds of questions about the workplace environment does the nurse survey ask?
Why does the survey ask for the last four digits of my Nurse License number as an identifier?
If I don't want to provide the last four digits of my license, can I put in a random number?
How is my confidentiality protected if I participate in the survey?
How are the results reported to my organization?
Why am I getting a blank screen after I answer question 1?
Why am I getting a blank screen after I answer question 12?
How do I know I have completed the survey?
Can I go backwards in the survey to change my answers if I want to?
If I cannot finish the survey in one sitting, can I return to finish it at another time?
Who is eligible to take the survey?
How many nurses must take the survey for my organization's application to be successful?
What difference does it make whether I answer the survey or not?
Got other questions?
What is the purpose of the Pathway to Excellence® nurse survey?
The nurse survey is an integral part of the assessment process for organizations that apply for Pathway to Excellence designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Responses from the nurse survey provide complementary information to the application materials an organization submits by polling nurses from throughout the organization about their perceptions of the workplace environment.
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What kinds of questions about the workplace environment does the nurse survey ask?
The survey asks questions relevant to the presence of essential elements of a positive work environment as defined by Pathway to Excellence criteria. It covers the following topics:
Decision making about standards of care
Input into staffing plans
Use of current information for policies and procedures
Nurses participate on safety committees
Injury, illness, and accident prevention in place
Personal health and supportive environment promoted
Report concerns without negative consequences
Preceptors educated to develop individualized orientation plans
Timely feedback through orientation given
Staffing patterns accommodate orientation
CNO visible and accessible
Programs available to enhance advancement
Participation in professional development activities
Staffing patterns accommodate professional development activities
Competitive wages
Wages based on education, expertise, experience, and longevity
Mandatory overtime never required
Distinguished service recognized
Recognition of contributions by external entities
Flexible scheduling accommodates personal needs
Programs and policies support work-life balance
Fosters interdisciplinary relationships and practices
Conflict is constructively managed
Workplace issues addressed using non-retaliatory procedures
Nurse managers advocate for patients and staff
Nurses provide input for evaluation of nurse manager
Direct care nurses involved in quality initiatives
Outcomes from quality initiatives used to improve patient care
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Why does the survey ask for the last four digits of my Nurse License number as an identifier?
With online survey administrations, it sometimes happens that a respondent can accidentally submit two sets of survey answers. It is important to eliminate accidental duplicate responses before preparing a summary report. Asking for the last four digits of your nursing license number gives ANCC a method for identifying and eliminating duplicate survey submissions without being able to connect them to an individual. return to top
If I don't want to provide the last four digits of my license, can I put in a random number?
No. The potential exists for two people to enter the same number. return to top
How is my confidentiality protected if I participate in the survey?
The answers you provide in the Pathway to Excellence Nurse Survey are completely confidential. Your survey responses are submitted to ANCC through a secure web site, and only authorized ANCC staff will have access to those responses. No one at your organization can btain access to your individual responses. return to top
How are the results reported to my organization?
Your responses will be combined with the responses of all the other nurses in your organization to produce a summary report. The survey report your healthcare organization receives will include only the total number of respondents who participated in the survey and a summary of the average aggregate response for each item about the workplace environment. return to top
Why am I getting a blank screen after I answer question 1?
Question 1 is a mandatory field that cannot be skipped. You must enter only whole numbers in order to proceed. return to top
Why am I getting a blank screen after I answer question 12?
If you’re getting a blank screen after question 12, go back and make sure you entered only whole numbers into questions 8 and 9. return to top
How do I know I have completed the survey?
You have only finished and submitted the survey when you are redirected to the following message: “Congratulations! You have successfully completed the nurse survey. You may now close the screen. Thank you for your participation.”
If you do not reach this screen, you have not completed the survey and your results have not been collected. return to top
Can I go backwards in the survey to change my answers if I want to?
Yes, you may click the "back" button from any screen to return to previous screens. return to top
If I cannot finish the survey in one sitting, can I return to finish it at another time?
Yes, you may click the "Save" button at the bottom of any screen, and a URL will appear in the address bar at the top of the computer screen. You must save this URL to return to the survey at a later time, and it will take you back to where you left off. return to top
Who is eligible to take the survey?
All Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses, including full-time, part-time, per diem or float pool, and contract or agency RNs and LPNs, must be invited to participate in the survey. return to top
How many nurses must take the survey for my organization's application to be successful?
The minimum response rate required is for 51% of all eligible nurses to participate in the survey. ANCC's survey administrator for the Pathway to Excellence program will give the organization a status report on the current participation rate once a week for each of the three weeks that the survey remains open. return to top
What difference does it make whether I answer the survey or not?
The survey collects feedback from all nurses throughout your organization on the degree to which they perceive essential elements of a positive workplace environment to be present in the organization. It is your opportunity to share your feedback on your work environment. return to top
Questions?
If you have any questions about the Pathway to Excellence Nurse Survey, contact Patsy Deyo, Senior Nurse Specialist for ANCC's Pathway to Excellence program, at 301.628.5222 or
patricia.deyo@ana.org.
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