University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center Earns Second Pathway to Excellence Designation for Nursing
GLEN BURNIE, Md. – The University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center (UM BWMC), a member of the University of Maryland Medical System, was redesignated as a Pathway to Excellence organization by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). This is the second time the hospital has met the high standards set by the accrediting organization for creating an ideal nursing practice environment.
Just over 200 hospitals worldwide achieve this prestigious designation from ANCC. The organization evaluates hospitals based on six standards identified as essential to an ideal nursing practice culture, including shared decision-making, leadership, safety, quality, well-being, and professional development. These standards have been identified as influential factors in determining nursing turnover rates and job satisfaction scores, as well as patient experience scores.
“At UM BWMC, we are committed to fostering a supportive and dynamic environment for our nursing colleagues,” said Kathy McCollum, President and CEO. “This redesignation reflects the constant dedication and hard work of our outstanding nurses and their tireless commitment to delivering high quality, compassionate patient care.”
“We’re honored to be recognized by ANCC for a second time for our nursing innovation and our continuous efforts to provide an exceptional work environment for our nurses,” said David Hunt, Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at UM BWMC. “This achievement represents a significant milestone in our journey to excellence, and we look forward to building on this success in the years to come.”
To qualify for the Pathway to Excellence designation, hospitals must submit an application with evidence as to how they meet the six standards. Nurses are then surveyed confidentially to validate the culture at the hospital and asked if they “strongly agree” that the environment reinforces these standards. UM BWMC exceeded the designation requirements by a significant margin and excelled in national comparison on several key areas, including shared decision-making and nursing leadership. At the hospital, nurses participate in daily rounds, councils, and committees and are involved in policy practice changes and quality improvement projects. UM BWMC also offers a variety of professional trainings, leadership development and career advancement planning tracks to support nurses in the workplace. More than 73% of UM BWMC’s nurses completed the validation survey, surpassing the minimum 60% requirement from ANCC.
“Through collaborative decision-making and multidisciplinary teamwork, the nurses at UM BWMC continue to deliver evidence-based care that meets the standards set by ANCC and leads to better patient outcomes,” said Nicole Farnsworth, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CPN, Clinical Practice and Development Coordinator at UM BWMC who led the hospital’s redesignation efforts. “We’re excited to be seen as a successful model for creating an environment where nurses feel empowered and valued.”
For more information about UM BWMC and the Pathway to Excellence designation, please visit ANCC's website at https://www.nursingworld.org/pathway.
About the University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center
The University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center (UM BWMC) is a 307-bed medical center committed to improving the health outcomes of the communities it serves. A member organization of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), UM BWMC is located in Glen Burnie (Anne Arundel County) and has more than 3,100 team members and 1,000 medical providers on staff. The medical group provides primary and specialty care services to individuals throughout the region. Together with community providers and faculty from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, UM BWMC offers a wide range of clinical programs including cancer, critical care, emergency, heart, lung, neurosciences, orthopedics, pediatric, primary care, vascular, and women’s health. For more information, visit umbwmc.org.
About the University of Maryland Medical System
The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is an academic private health system, focused on delivering compassionate, high-quality care and putting discovery and innovation into practice at the bedside. Partnering with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and University of Maryland, Baltimore who educate the state’s future health care professionals, UMMS is an integrated network of care, delivering 25 percent of all hospital care in urban, suburban and rural communities across the state of Maryland. UMMS puts academic medicine within reach through primary and specialty care delivered at 11 hospitals, including the flagship University of Maryland Medical Center, the System’s anchor institution in downtown Baltimore, as well as through a network of University of Maryland Urgent Care centers and more than 150 other locations in 13 counties. For more information, visit www.umms.org.