Nursing Clinical Ladder Program

Introduction

The nursing clinical ladder program of Piedmont Medical Center is designed to recognize and reward our nurses for demonstrating clinical excellence and professional growth.

Registered nurses providing direct patient care account for the single largest percentage of the workforce in hospitals and healthcare systems. Piedmont recognizes continued growth and development of our staff is essential to our success. A clinical ladder program has been adopted to recognize and reward the daily contributions that experienced staff nurses make at the bedside.

Values 
Piedmont’s Nursing Service has developed and adopted a set of core values and nursing philosophy to define the professional nurse at Piedmont. Our administrative team believes its members are responsible for nurturing, recognizing and rewarding professional development and clinical excellence.

Statement of Belief 
Under the Piedmont nursing philosophy, professional nursing is composed of leadership, empowerment, art and science. We believe all nurses have leadership potential realized by participation in the Clinical Ladder, managing care and fostering an environment of professional growth and evidence-based practice. Our approach to patient care is to meet the physical, emotional, psychological, spiritual and cultural needs of our patients and their families.

Key Concepts 
The Clinical Ladder is designed around several key concepts: 

· Recognition of clinical and/or academic professional growth
· Novice to expert progression based on Benner’s model
· Lifelong learning
· Quality patient outcomes
· Patient satisfaction
· Evidenced-based nursing practice and the application of nursing research
 
In the program, nurses are promoted to higher clinical levels based upon performance, experience and education. 

CNO's letter

Our philosophy

Shared Governance

Core Values