Condition 4: Access and Success – Expanding Pathways and Sustaining Achievement

Webinar Details

This session explores how academic nursing programs can enhance access and promote success for students, staff, and faculty by identifying and addressing structural, cultural, and procedural barriers that impact participation and achievement. Grounded in the AACN Ecosystem of Excellence in Academic Nursing, the session examines the Access and Success Condition within the Operational Core, emphasizing the creation of clear pathways, equitable resource distribution, and responsive support systems that reflect the needs of all members of the academic community—including nontraditional learners and individuals managing complex life circumstances.

Participants will explore data-informed strategies for admissions, hiring, retention, and professional development, along with continuous improvement practices that foster accountability, adaptability, and lasting impact. Discussion will also highlight the relationship between Humanistic Conditions—particularly support, connection, and preparedness—and the institutional systems that enable individuals to thrive.

By linking these principles to AACN’s Access, Connection, and Engagement (ACE) vision, this session demonstrates how intentional, evidence-based approaches to access and success contribute to institutional excellence, workforce readiness, and the advancement of academic nursing.

Learning Outcomes

After participating in this webinar, attendees will be able to:

• Evaluate institutional practices that influence access, retention, and advancement for students, staff, and faculty.
• Identify structural and situational barriers that limit success across roles, including unclear pathways, limited resources, and restrictive processes.
• Apply strategies to build clear, mission-aligned pathways and support systems that promote growth, recognition, and success for all members of the academic nursing community.
• Explain how the Access and Success Condition within the Operational Core supports the ACE vision by aligning institutional structures with the human and educational needs of a dynamic nursing workforce.

About the Ecosystem

The AACN Ecosystem of Excellence in Academic Nursing is a comprehensive, evidence-informed framework that aligns mission, people, and systems to create environments where all students, staff, and faculty can thrive.

At its foundation are the Humanistic Conditions—Healthy, Psychologically Safe, Connected, Supported, Valued, and Prepared—that enable individuals to achieve their best. These are integrated through the Ecosystem’s three Cores:

• Human Core, which centers on the Humanistic Conditions that foster well-being and engagement.
• Operational Core, which aligns systems and strategies through five Institutional Conditions: Infrastructure and Capacity, Climate and Intergroup Relations, Education and Scholarship, Access and Success, and Community Engagement.
• Institutional Core, which grounds excellence in shared culture through five Cultural Conditions: Mission, Vision, Values, Traditions, and Norms.

The Operational Core is supported by a digital Ecosystem Toolkit that translates the framework into actionable strategies and measurable outcomes, including:

• Strategies that strengthen policies, practices, and structures
• Scenarios illustrating real-world challenges and solutions—each intentionally linked to the Humanistic Conditions of the Ecosystem and aligned with relevant AACN Essentials
• Reflection questions that promote dialogue, planning, and innovation
• Dashboards and planning tools to monitor progress and outcomes
• Curated supporting literature that provides evidence and context for implementation

Note: Recording of the webinar will be available soon after the webinar airs. Visit AACN's On-Demand Webinars to watch.