As the healthcare sector grapples with increasing nurse burnout and persistent staffing shortages, AdventHealth has introduced a promising solution. Their clinical ladder program, launched in August 2023 at AdventHealth Castle Rock, aims to enhance career advancement opportunities for nurses while simultaneously improving patient care.
Ellery Reed, the chief nursing officer at AdventHealth Castle Rock, emphasizes the importance of this initiative. “When you do the same thing, day in and day out, you can get burned out as well,” Reed noted, highlighting the emotional and physical toll on nurses.
The clinical ladder program provides bedside nurses with various avenues for professional development. Nichole Searle, an acute care registered nurse and charge nurse, shared her experience, stating, “I found different avenues to be more engaged and more interested in.” The program encourages nurses to participate in activities beyond their usual responsibilities, fostering greater engagement and interest.
Nurses can accumulate points by serving on committees, spearheading improvement projects, pursuing further education, or obtaining additional certifications. Reed explained, “For all these points that they obtain, they go into a different level of the clinical ladder, which has a different additional payment assigned to it.” This financial incentive is a significant draw for many nurses.
The program also includes reimbursement for certification tests, ensuring that nurses face no financial barriers in pursuing their professional goals. Sarah Sachs, a nurse leader at AdventHealth Castle Rock, remarked on the program’s impact: “The chance to earn more money is a major draw for nurses.” Currently, 70% of nurses at AdventHealth Castle Rock have engaged with the clinical ladder program at various levels.
Reed noted that the program has been instrumental in addressing nurse burnout, which surged during the COVID-19 pandemic. In some units, the turnover rate has decreased by an impressive 75% since the program’s inception. Searle reflected on her need for change, stating, “It’s just a difficult job, emotionally and physically. I just needed something new and something different to be more engaged with and learn more.”
The clinical ladder program has not only lifted nurse morale but has also positively influenced patient care. Sachs emphasized the connection, saying, “What you’re doing behind the scenes to further yourself as a nurse makes a huge difference in your patient care.”
Given the success of the initiative, AdventHealth Castle Rock plans to extend the clinical ladder model to other healthcare professionals within their system. This ambitious expansion reflects the organization’s commitment to fostering a supportive and growth-oriented environment for all staff members.
By prioritizing career development and enhancing job satisfaction, AdventHealth’s clinical ladder program serves as a vital step toward mitigating the challenges faced by nurses today, ultimately benefiting both healthcare providers and patients alike.
