After participating over the past few months in several meetings and calls related to excellence awards and designations for hospitals and units, I have realized that these designations of excellence have one standard in common—strong multidisciplinary collaboration. Having gone through Beacon reviewer training and recently attending the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet conference, I have once again reviewed the necessary requirements for these awards of excellence. Collaboration is a key requirement for both of these designations and is important to achieve good patient outcomes and healthy work environments.

The dictionary defines collaboration as “to collaborate” or “to work with one another.” The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) has true collaboration as one of the 6 Healthy Work Environment standards, and this standard states that “nurses must be relentless in pursuing and fostering true collaboration.” This standard recommends that the team communicate well and appreciate what each...

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