Revisiting the impact of accreditation on transition to practice programs: Findings from a replication analysis

Abstract

Background: Accreditation of transition to practice (TTP) programs is on the rise across the United States; however, few studies have investigated the effect of program recognition on health care organizations. Even less is known about the organizational value of residency/fel-lowship program accreditation and which measures support the long-term sustainability of these programs. The goal of this retrospective content analysis is to revisit the effect of accreditation by replicating a previous analysis of TTP programs. Method: An administrative survey was distributed in 2019 to TTP programs recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Practice Transition Accreditation Program® (PTAP). Directed content analysis methods were used to compare thematic results on the perceived effect of accreditation with those in the original analysis. Results: A coding matrix was used to categorize responses into broad concept categories with subthemes. All themes from the original publication were replicated in the current analysis; addi-tionally, new categories and subthemes emerged. Con-clusion: Implications from this analysis may be used by nursing leaders, educators, and policymakers to increase TTP funding and recognition, engage stakeholders in organizational improvement, and expand residency/fel-lowship science through professional dissemination.