We seek opportunities to help our nurses attain professional advancement with a Shared Governance Model designed to provide Structural Empowerment through our Professional Development and Practice Council. In support of our Riverside Mission, “To care for others as we would care for those we love-to enhance their well-being and improve their health,” our Voluntary Clinical Ladder Program was established to further impact our Riverside Care Difference. This is achieved by enhancing patient safety, quality, and delivery of an exceptional service experience by our bedside nurses who are provided empowerment to lead practice changes in clinical settings.
The Objectives of our Clinical Ladder Program are to:
- Improve Patient Outcomes
- By recognizing and promoting clinical nurses who work primarily at the bedside
- By advancing nurses participation and engagement in the Riverside Care Difference through providing safe, quality care while enriching the caring and healing environment
- Improve Retention and Job Satisfaction
- By promoting recognition, retention, and advancement to nurses across the health system
- By recognizing and rewarding nurses for clinical competence, leadership, education, and performance
- By promoting advancement opportunities in clinical practice, leadership, professional growth, and personal accomplishment
- By encouraging nurses to advance at a pace compatible with their unique career and personal goals
- By identifying skills and characteristics to be a resource, role mode, and/or preceptor for other nurses
Our Clinical Ladder Program is supported by an electronic platform, Staff Garden, which displays our nurse’s exceptional support to our Riverside Care Difference through change implementations that have impacted patient quality, safety, and experience. Our Clinical Ladder/Staff Garden Support Team is available to assist our nurses by providing feedback regarding project ideas, providing resources for continued education credits, supporting document templates, and the electronic submission process from start to finish. It is a priority to ensure that all nurses who desire to complete our Voluntary Clinical Ladder Program can reach their career goals.