One of the best benefits of a career in nursing is the opportunity to advance in skill, knowledge, expertise, and role. In 2011, the Institute of Medicine (IOM, now National Academy of Medicine) published a key report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, in which they called on the profession of nursing to advance our education and expand our professional practice in order for the “health system [to] reap the full benefit of nurses’ training, skills, and knowledge in patient care.” The IOM recognized the valuable contribution nurses have, not only in the care of patients, but in transforming the health care system to improve quality, safety, and accessibility of care.
The Center for Nursing Excellence (CNE) supports a Clinical Ladder that provides a framework for you on your professional journey. The clinical ladder is based upon Patricia Benner’s novice to expert model of nursing development. Each step in the ladder builds upon your experience, achievement of skills, and competencies. Your growth, development, and advancement up the clinical ladder is assessed each year during your Annual Performance Appraisal (Evaluation). Evaluation time is an opportunity to demonstrate your growth and development through completion of a professional portfolio with evidence, validating your experiences and engagement in committee membership, quality improvement, evidence-based projects, and education. UAMS offers a number of development opportunities specifically designed for where you are on the clinical ladder.
Every RN at UAMS is expected to reach the RNIII Proficient role on the clinical ladder. RNIV and RNV are two rungs on the clinical ladder that are optional for you to pursue. There are 2 tracks for both RNIV and RNV – Clinical Expert and Manager. The Clinical Expert role follows in the footsteps of the Clinical Specialist, focusing on education, quality improvement and evidence-based practice. The Manager role follows in the footsteps of the Clinical Services Manager and focuses on staffing, regulatory readiness, quality improvement, RN engagement, and patient satisfaction.
The basic requirements to promote to RN IV and RN V include the following:
- BSN (RN IV) or MSN/DNP (RN V)
- National certification
- Satisfactory score on previous annual evaluation
- 48 CE hours
- Current advanced clinical training required by specialty
You can review the rest of the requirements for each specific role on the CNE Website. In addition to the clinical ladder, there are many roles you can seek for your growth and development. This includes being a Preceptor to new hires, Charge Nurse of your unit, specialty instructor (BLS, ACLS, etc.), Resource RN (quality improvement), and others. Visit with your nursing leadership for specialty specific opportunities available to you. One of the most frequent comments we hear from nurses who rehire at UAMS is “there are so many opportunities at UAMS to advance and develop in my career as a nurse.” Are you making the most of the opportunities offered at UAMS to take your next step?
