Retain expert nurses through clinical ladder alternatives

The nursing shortage, recruitment, and retention are critical issues relevant to the healthcare delivery system. These issues have been well documented throughout nursing literature. Retention of the clinical expert in the profession is crucial to maintaining a high standard of patient care. Clinical ladder programs address these issues by recognizing and rewarding excellence. However, development of such programs can be cumbersome, complicated, and expensive, and has not been documented as definitively effective. This article describes the development of an alternative approach to this traditional clinical ladder, and Staff Development's role in facilitating such a program.