ANCC Practice Transition Accreditation Program (PTAP)® FAQs
The ANCC Practice Transition Accreditation Program® (PTAP) sets the global standard for residency or fellowship programs that transition registered nurses (RNs) and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) into new practice settings.
ANCC accredits the following types of transition programs:
- RN Residencies — For nurses with less than 12 months' experience
- RN Fellowships — For experienced nurses to master new clinical settings
- APRN Fellowships — For newly certified advanced practice nurses
With ANCC evidence-based criteria your program demonstrates excellence in transitioning nurses to new practice settings.
Survey
Purpose
The PTAP survey invites nurse residents/fellows to share their perceptions of the applicant practice transition program. Responses are a complement to the program's application materials.
Types of Questions
The survey asks questions relevant to the presence of essential elements of a practice transition program as defined by criteria in the 2016 Application Manual: Practice Transition Accreditation Program™.
It covers these topics:
- Mentor(s)
- Preceptor(s)
- Program Director
- Resource allocation
- Orientation process
- Program curriculum
- Nursing professional development
- Quality outcomes
Eligibility
Survey respondents must be currently engaged in the program or have participated in the program within the last 12 months.
Required Response Rate
The minimum response rate is for 51% of all eligible nurses to participate in the survey.
Confidentiality
Individual survey answers are completely confidential. Survey responses are submitted via a secure website, which only authorized ANCC staff may access. No one in your organization can view individual responses.
Reporting of Results
Responses from your organization are combined to produce a summary report that includes the average aggregate response for each domain about the practice transition program. Demographics are not included in the summary.
Virtual Visit
Purpose
The PTAP Virtual Visit amplifies, clarifies, and verifies information in the self-study document.
Virtual Visit Date
The appraiser team will send out an email with three dates and times that the site may pick from. If these dates and times do not work for the site, you must inform the Team Leader.
Conference Call Requirements
The applicant organization will arrange and pay for the conference call/virtual visit. The applicant organization should communicate call instructions, including what to do if the appraiser team experiences call difficulties or cannot access the conference call line.
If the applicant organization cannot secure a conference line, the Team Leader will contact ANCC staff at practicetransition@ana.org or 301.628.5183 for further instructions.
Agenda
The agenda is sent at least 2 weeks prior to the site visit.
Length of Call
The call can last up to 3 hours.
Attendees
The Program Director must be present throughout the virtual visit call. You may invite key stakeholders as appropriate. The Team Leader may request certain individuals be present based on the self-study.
Recording the Call
Recording of the conference call is prohibited.
Additional Evidence
Additional evidence must be submitted within 72 hours after a request from the Team Leader. There are no additional fees required for additional evidence requests.
Accreditation Decision
The accreditation decision is made within approximately 2 months after the appraisers' final report to the COA. The Accreditation Program informs applicant programs directly.