Mention the DDCT to a roomful of Magnet® Program Directors, and you will likely elicit a collective groan. It’s not an easy document to love, and along with the ULDC, you might be tempted to put their completion way down on the “to-do” list.
If you delay, however, you would be missing an opportunity! When preparing for your Magnet Designation journey, one of the best things you can do to stay ahead is to complete your Demographic Data Collection Tool (DDCT) and Unit-Level Data Crosswalk (ULDC) as early as possible. These two documents play a big role in making sure your data is accurate, complete, and ready for submission.
Tipton Health’s Data Services team relies on the ULDC to prepare the Fab 5 data section of your Magnet examples. Getting it in early allows us to review your data for the following issues:
- missing units,
- gaps in quarterly submissions,
- and any inconsistencies that might cause issues later.
Early review for these and other issues gives you plenty of time to make corrections and avoid last-minute stress.
The ULDC is also an important tool for Magnet appraisers. When reviewing the Fab 5 empirical outcomes, appraisers rely on the ULDC to clearly match each unit’s data across multiple sources. Since unit names may vary between your DDCT and vendor for nurse sensitive indicators, patient experience, or RN satisfaction surveys, the ULDC serves as a vital reference tool that aligns vendor-specific unit names with the DDCT units, ensuring consistency and clarity for appraisers during their evaluation. When preparing your ULDC, make sure to copy over the full list of unit types and unit names directly from your DDCT. Pay close attention to the instructions on the EP19EO/EP21EO and EP20EO/EP22EO tabs:
- EP19EO/EP21EO should list inpatient units only
- EP20EO/EP22EO should list ambulatory units only
Also, take a moment to check for any grouped units, and confirm that all required data is included. If you’re missing data for a unit, don’t forget to add an ANCC-approved reason. This is especially important for any missing quarterly data. Those approved reasons keep you in line with ANCC expectations and help avoid hiccups later in the process.
If any changes are made to your DDCT or ULDC after you have submitted your Fab 5 to Tipton Health’s data team for review, please notify us right away. Post-submission edits may require additional time and could lead to extra fees.
Keeping your data current and consistent helps your submission stay on track and aligned with ANCC expectations. Completing your DDCT and ULDC early, maintaining clear communication, and checking your work carefully will set you up for success.
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