Thinking Bigger: Digital Clinical Ladders Scaling Nationwide
Hospitals across the nation are thinking bigger, expanding their digital clinical ladders beyond nursing to new departments and locations.
Expanding structured professional development programs enhances retention, recognizes hard work, and builds futures within an organization to combat the high turnover rates plaguing the industry.
Key Takeaways
High turnover rates continue to plague healthcare.
The healthcare industry faces significant turnover across clinical roles. A 2024 report finds industry average turnover rates sitting at 18% for RNs, 35% for patient care technicians, and 42% for CNAs (Nursing Solutions Inc. 2024 Report).
High turnover stems from a lack of clear pathways for professional growth and meaningful recognition, driving many to seek opportunities elsewhere. Among those who leave, one of the top reasons they cited was feeling undervalued by their organization (McKinsey & Co, 2023).
Digital clinical ladder programs are proven to reduce turnover.
82% of employers believe entry-level career laddering programs increase retention (2024 NHA Industry Outlook). Programs that can recognize and reward growth within the organization help to reduce frustration, foster engagement, and drive retention.
This is why many organizations that have an existing digital clinical ladder are now expanding to other clinical departments, offering similar opportunities for growth to more employees.
Moving to a digital platform for professional development streamlines processes for both leadership and applicants, increasing the accessibility of the ladder by providing real-time visibility into program participation and engagement.
Why digital expansion works:
Expanding clinical ladder programs across new locations standardizes career development opportunities, ensuring employees across the network feel valued and invested in their futures.
Several StaffGarden customers have undergone program expansions following successful implementation and program growth within an initial population. One such expansion took place at Inova Health System, where VP of Professional Practice Kathy Russell-Babin spearheads shared governance and nurse excellence initiatives using the StaffGarden digital clinical ladder.
Inova’s three hospitals “used to have disconnected spreadsheets to identify nurses' degrees, certifications, etc. … which made it hard to complete organization-wide, and was an enormous amount of work. [There was] too much variability even with other digital systems – [we] needed a standardization [to] not only to make reporting easier but for top-level visibility to see into the workforce capabilities."
By expanding the ladder to the organization level, Inova now takes a proactive stance in addressing challenges such as retention and nurse advancement across the organization.
?The presence of the digital clinical ladder “says to those that are in the program, ‘rest assured that you are in a quality program’, and as a result of that, we will hopefully retain them," with Kathy confirming that Inova is now seeing “an increase in recruitment to around 850 new grads a year… [we’re] also seeing reduced turnover at about 2-3% year over year.”
Clinical ladders go beyond nursing
Many organizations begin by implementing programs for RNs and then evolve into other roles as the benefits of the digital CLP become evident.
Expanding into non-nursing roles demonstrates the adaptability of digital laddering programs, creating tailored solutions for specialized teams while strengthening retention across departments.
Many StaffGarden customers are in the process of expanding their programs for departments such as LPNs, PCTs, MAs, Emergency Service Technicians, Respiratory Therapy, and Ambulatory Surgery Center staff. Early-career RNs at one StaffGarden partner hospital can also now enjoy a Nurse Residency Program (NRP), developed in response to the success of the digital clinical ladder within the general nursing population.
Expansion also provides the opportunity to tailor programs for smaller, unique departments like dietitians and social services, both of which have found success with a StaffGarden digital clinical ladder program. By leveraging shared processes and features, organizations can streamline program launches and execution, ensuring new populations can access the benefits of a digital clinical ladder.
In conclusion
Structured professional development creates a stronger organization where all employees feel valued and see opportunities for growth, to nursing and beyond.
See how a digital clinical ladder will impact your healthcare organization by reserving a live demo at staffgarden.com/demo.