The Pathway to Excellence Program® is a premier nursing designation offered by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the nursing excellence branch of the American Nurses Association. It recognizes healthcare organizations that have positive practice environments that promote nursing autonomy. In essence, it encourages nurses to be engaged and empowered to make decisions on patient care, while also encouraging wellness and support. 
 
The ANCC Pathway to Excellence Framework is based on six standards that are essential elements in developing a positive practice environment for nursing across a variety of healthcare settings, including acute care and long-term care. These six standards include shared decision-making, leadership, safety, quality, wellbeing and professional development. 
 
At Southcoast Health, we understand that when nurses have a voice, we have a more resilient workforce, higher staff satisfaction and better patient experience. Additionally, increased collaboration among healthcare professional’s results in better quality care and improved patient outcomes.