Professional Development

Our Professional Development Program provides recognition and rewards for nursing excellence and professional growth activities that reflect a nurse’s commitment to caring and achievement. The program includes four phases of professional development. The phases are attained as a nurse grows in knowledge and experience.

Novice
The nurse is learning how to apply acquired knowledge to the practice of nursing. The nurse is able to provide routine patient care and carry out a plan of care. Practice at this level is guided primarily by policies, procedures and standards. It is expected that nurses will move to the next level of practice within one year.

Competent
The nurse functions independently, utilizes a collaborative approach to care and is guided by experience as well as by policies and standards. He/she consistently exhibits the communication and interpersonal skills required of a professional nurse. The nurse is aware of patterns of patient responses and through critical thinking can use past experiences to identify solutions to current situations. Patients are viewed holistically and the nurse practices with an integrated, collaborative approach to care. This is the expected level of practice for all nurses after the first year and is defined as the Contributor level in the Annual Performance Evaluation.

Leader
Entering this level is voluntary. The nurse has been in practice for at least two years and has national certification appropriate to the area of practice. The nurse practices from a comprehensive knowledge base and is beginning to assume a leadership role within the clinical practice area, using expertise to serve as a resource to others, a role model, preceptor and coach. Application to the Leader Level signifies your commitment to contribute at a higher level in terms of your patient relationships, collaboration and teamwork, knowledge and decision making.

Researcher
Entering this level is voluntary. The nurse has been in practice for at least 3 years, has national certification appropriate to the area of practice and has a bachelor’s degree in nursing. The nurse at this level is flexible, self-directed and innovative, initiating changes that impact unit-based or hospital-wide nursing practice. The nurse at this level serves as a change agent and provides leadership and mentoring to the multidisciplinary health care team.