Under the Patient Safety domain of the NAHQ CPHQ exam, healthcare quality professionals are expected to demonstrate proficiency in analyzing safety culture data to prioritize improvement efforts. The survey results show multiple composite areas performing below national benchmarks, particularly handoffs and transitions and teamwork between units, which are known high-risk contributors to adverse events.

The NAHQ competency framework emphasizes the use of quality improvement tools to objectively identify priority areas before implementing interventions. A Pareto chart is an appropriate next step because it visually highlights the areas contributing most significantly to safety culture gaps, allowing the organization to focus resources where they will have the greatest impact. This aligns with the principle of prioritization before action.

Exploring relationships among categories (Option A) may be useful later, but it follows initial prioritization. Forming a steering committee (Option B) is premature without clearly identified priorities. Creating a reward system (Option C) represents an intervention and should only occur after data-driven analysis confirms root causes. The CPHQ exam consistently tests the sequence of measure → analyze → prioritize → intervene, making Option D the correct answer.