Career ladder program.

Abstract

In June 1990, Santa Rosa Children's Hospital instituted a multitrack career ladder program for registered nurses, in response to the issues of retention of expert nursing staff and development of professional nursing practice. The program incorporates clinical, education, and management tracks, providing vertical and lateral mobility to the registered nurse. Performance evaluation criteria complement the promotional process, and the registered nurse has a menu of requirements to fulfill each year upon promotion to or maintenance of career ladder level. Through incorporation of a graduated salary system, the program has been a retention bonus for registered nurses at Santa Rosa Children's Hospital. In addition, the career ladder program has been very successful in promoting professional nursing practice within the hospital.