is laddering worth it?

mamamerlee, LPN · Aug 5, 2010

Laddering has to do with getting ahead at your job. You may need certifications to get up the ladder. Laddering does not transfer from one place of business to another.

Laddering has no real 'value' outside of the particular facility.

Certifications and degrees go with you just like your RN does.

Flipper911 · Aug 5, 2010

true....I tend to shy away from laddering but embrace advanced degrees and certifications. the facility i work at not is in the process of closing and all those nurses who spent so much time laddering will have nothing to show for it once the facility closes.

pedicurn, LPN, RN · Aug 5, 2010

I think laddering can provide an alternate progression process for those not keen on degrees, and also the small pay increments are nice.

It's a relatively small thing to do ....add it to your advanced education ....and you should stand a better chance at promotion than those others who only ladder

RNperdiem, RN · Aug 5, 2010

Skills, real marketable skills are even better.

General E. Speaking, RN, RN · Aug 5, 2010

I jump thru a few hoops to get clinical ladder pay. Most of it is pretty painless. I only get an extra $100/month. Doesn't sound like much but I try to look at the yearly accumulation. $1200.

ChristineN, BSN, RN · Aug 5, 2010

If there are projects, posters, or research studies nurses had to participate in to climb the ladder, they can always put that on their resume. Also, most places I've worked require you to have your specialty certification to climb the ladder, so that looks good on a resume too.

llg, PhD, RN · Aug 5, 2010

Moving up a clinical ladder shows that you are doing the things that your employer wants you to do. Having that on your resume (and in your employment file) show a prospective employer that you did a good job and were rewarded for it. Most employers want to hire people like that.

So while moving up a career ladder is not a permanent, transferable credential in the same way that an academic degree or professional certification is ... it is valuable evidence of high quality work that can help advance your career in the future. The work you do to earn that promotion up the ladder can also provide you with valuable learning opportunities and opportunities to network with people who can assist you in your career development. You get to meet people who can be resources for you while you simultaneously gain valuable work experience, add to your resume, and earn a little extra money. Overall ... that's a good deal.

Some people tend to downplay the positive effects of work experience, networking, and a strong professional reputation -- but such "intangibles" are often key factors in deciding who gets the job/promotion and who doesn't. Usually, the most desirable jobs have multiple applicants with the right educational credentials. After the initial screening of candidates to weed out those who don't have the right formal credentials ... the top candidates are interviewed and it's the intangible factors that start coming to the forefront of the selection process. They include such things as personality, "fit" for the job and for joining the existing team, and things like previous work experience and performance on those jobs. That's where having moved up a clinical ladder will help a person to stand out.

adiplomadinosaur · Aug 6, 2010

I have some problems with laddering, but maybe it is only where I work. It seems more emphasis is placed on how much extra time you give to your place of employment in terms of committee work or how much volunteer work you do, instead of what kind of a nurse you are. I work 72 hours a pay period,(actually probably 80 hours if you count hours spent past my shift doing paperwork.) take care of a husband, two children, and an ailing parent. I volunteer within my community in non health related areas, but those don't count. (Why should volunteering even be part of my work evaluation?) I don't have extra time to devote to committee work. Because of staffing, people can't leave the floor for 2 hours to go to a meeting. I maintain 30-35 ceu's a year to maintain my specialty certification. The economy precludes me going back to school for a degree, which other than the possible extra money I might eventually make, seems to me no benefit in making me a better bedside nurse. Since they instituted laddering where I work, I now find that I am on probation because I didn't maintain the amount of points needed to maintain my level.

We have 3 levels to the ladder where I work. 2's are new hires and 4's are ony for BSN's. 3's are everyone else. By the previous system I ws a 3. So now... after being in nursing 30 years and working at the hospital for 20, i am looking at losing my job in the next year. (longevity in nursing or at the hospital, count for nothing)

Unfortunately, you can't prove caring. Taking time with your patients to listen to them, to sit and hold a hand while someone dies without family, can't be measured. (that's if you have the time to do it, which is a whole other issue.)

The emphasis in nursing now seems to be more in research and managerial type skills, and how much extra time you can give to your place of employment.Those are the skills that show what kind of nurse you are.

funmom · Aug 6, 2010

Laddering can be worth it. In my case, it gave me an extra pay raise after awhile. I would rather get the advanced degree though. A degree travels with you. Your education can never be taken away from you.

llg, PhD, RN · Aug 6, 2010

I have some problems with laddering, but maybe it is only where I work.

As you have identified, a system of rewards (such as a clinical ladder) is only as good as the judgment of the people who created and run it. If you agree with the criteria used to determine your level on the ladder, then the system works for you. If your values and priorities are not congruent with those of the system, then you are working for an employer whose values you do not share. Perhaps it is time to start looking for a new employer -- one that shares your same values and priorities.

That type of value conflict has always existed. Some employers and employees have had different values and priorities forever. However, a ladder brings it out into the open and forces everyone to recognize those differences and deal with them one way or another.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

General E. Speaking, RN, RN · Aug 14, 2010

Laddering can be worth it. In my case, it gave me an extra pay raise after awhile. I would rather get the advanced degree though. A degree travels with you. Your education can never be taken away from you.

This is true, however, I find that every time I do an educational poster or inservice, I learn something. That education travels with me too!