Climbing the RN ladder....??

[gradRN2007, BSN, RN]

i am a new nurse of 1.5 years. i work on a cardiac/imcu unit. i love it and the rn's are the best that i work with.

i see signs all over the hospital about moving up the ladder?? bring your "book" and we will help you?? i am an rn ii if that means anything..

how do you climb the ladder? i could ask at work but thought i could ask here first..i love the clinical side vs. the administrative side.

any information would be appreciated

robin in florida:redbeathe

[blinks14]

We have a clinical ladder program at my hospital. The program gives nurses credit for all the "extra" things they do. Like continue their education, participate in committees, implement policy change, precept new nurses and so on and so on. In our particular program you have to "challenge" up the ladder. To do that you must file certain paperwork, meet all the requirements for the next level and create a portfolio that contains things like your degree, license, CEUs, class credit, examples of council participation, volunteer work, being a member of a professional organization, etc. It is reviewed and they determine whether or not you move up the ladder. In my hospital if you move up the ladder you can get up to a 6% raise plus your pay for performance raise. I'm a new grad but as part of our orientation we are encouraged to start our portfolio. Our unit requires everyone to have a portfolio for yearly evaluations anyway.

Hope that helps, I'm sure it's not exactly the same at each hospital that has a program like that.

[MikeyJ, RN]

My hospital has a clinical ladder as well. Very few nurses I have met actually take part in the clinical ladder and I am not sure why. You move up with different certifications, continuing with your education, becoming a nurse mentor, etc. Their are pay incentives.

The main reason why my hospital implemented the clinical ladder is because they are trying to become magnet accredited.

[Christen, ANP]

we have a clinical ladder as well. To attain an RN III (and with it a 5% raise), you must have 25 ceu's, be a member of a professional organization, and write either 4 or 5 clinical 'vingettes,' or situations that demonstrate why you deserve the RN III. The RN IV (and an additional 5% raise) requires you to be an RN III for a year, certified, and a few other things that I'll know more about next year.

[gradRN2007, BSN, RN]

i am geting some great info, sounds like what i read on the posters at work, the portfolio would probably be the "book"!

thanks so much for the info

robin:redbeathe

[mpccrn, BSN, RN]

our clinical ladder program has 7 catagories with a variety of choices to meet the requirements. they consist of nursing process, education, communication, unit development, community, financial, and quality. everyone starts at a level 1. level 2 is the easiest and frankly is stuff you already do in your every day job, you just need to create a paper trail to verify it. the hospital considers it a way of potentiating professional growth but frankly most of us do it for the money. whatever. i'm a level 3 now and can expect $1500 for my trouble.....i mean my professional growth

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Besides from the above, you can "move up the ladder" by becoming a charge nurse or a unit educator. Then you are still on the clinical side of things.