What's New With the Beacon Award for Excellence?

In 2010, AACN updated the criteria for the Beacon Award for Excellence. The Beacon Award for Excellence continues to incorporate:

• Leadership Structures and Systems.
• Appropriate Staffing and Staff Engagement.
• Effective Communication, Knowledge Management and Best Practices.
• Evidence-based Practice and Processes.
• Patient Outcomes.

Here are the Changes

• Open to all units: Any hospital unit (wherever a patient receives principal nursing care after hospital admission) that meets evidence-based standards of excellence and patient safety can apply.
  • In the past, only adult and pediatric critical care units and progressive care units were eligible. 

• Status change: The Beacon Award will include three levels so that a unit can chart its excellence journey over time.
  • Bronze, silver and gold recipients receive a three-year designation.

• Multiple program criteria: New criteria align closely with those of other programs — such as the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award, Magnet Recognition Program, the AACN Healthy Work Environment Standards and the National Quality Forum Safe Practices for Better Healthcare — making it easier when a hospital applies for multiple national recognition programs.

• Review process: Applications are assigned to a panel of expert reviewers, trained in the criteria.
  • All of the information submitted in the application is completely confidential.
    • Every application receives a summary review with recommendations. 
  • Please refer to the Scoring Guidelines in the Beacon handbook.