posted August 29, 2008
 (from left to right) Erlanger Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive Lynn Whisman presents Nurse Lena Satterfield with her lapel pin. Nurse Brittany Hamby accepts her lapel pin from Erlanger Health System President and CEO Jim Brexler. |
The Clinical and Career Ladder Program is based on Benner's Novice to Expert Theory of Excellence and Power in Nursing. It includes four levels of development: entry, established, expert, and exemplar. Nurses must meet certain criteria and goals in each category before advancing to the next level. Since its inception eight years ago, 366 Erlanger nurses have participated in the program.
Entry level refers to nurses who are recently out of nursing school. He or she may have the knowledge of nursing theory, but are in the process of gaining more experience. The novice level is focused on learning how to apply holistic care to patients.
Established nurses work on formulating a nursing plan of care based on the understanding of skills.
Expert is a proficient clinician who uses organization and efficiency to provide care.
The exemplar level applies to expert nurses who are accomplished and have an intuitive grasp of patient care, are advanced in education and have several certifications.
"The program provides nurses throughout the Erlanger Health System avenues for professional growth and development in clinical, managerial, and educational areas of their practice," explains Lynn Whisman, Erlanger senior vice president and chief nursing executive. "The program promotes overall nursing career advancement, while allowing and encouraging the nurse to stay at the bedside."
Each participating nurse received a certificate during the ceremony. Nurses in the expert and exemplar categories received lapel pins with sapphire stones to signify the level they have reached, as well as a monetary award for their achievement.
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