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Advancing
Your Career
The
Clinical Advancement Program is based on UPMC's
Transformational Model for Nursing Practice and is being implemented
across the health system. The new program, designed to provide a career
track for nurses who want to remain at the bedside, will help UPMC achieve
its vision of redesigning the way it delivers care to the citizens of
western Pennsylvania.
The Clinical Advancement Program was developed first, and most importantly,
to attract and retain our best and brightest nurses — through incentives
for financial and professional growth — to perform the most vital
nursing work in our system: bedside patient care. It also aims to create
barrier-free work environments with systems that support nursing practice,
while ensuring that UPMC nurses have the resources necessary to do their
work effectively.
There
are four advancement levels in the program:
- Level
1: Staff Nurse
This is an entry-level position for new graduates who are in their first
year of practice. It is intended to be a novice level of practice in
which new graduates are learning their roles and developing their skills
and abilities — often through the mentoring of a more experienced
nurse.
In order to progress to Level 2, a nurse must successfully complete
credentialing and licensure requirements, have one year of experience,
and receive a satisfactory performance appraisal.
- Level 2: Professional
Staff Nurse
This position is designed to recognize and reward UPMC's skilled, competent
professional staff nurses. Nurses may elect to remain at this level
throughout their careers. Incremental salary increases based on performance
and experience are built into the program.
As their experience grows, professional staff nurses are increasingly
relied upon to serve as patient care leaders and may serve as preceptors
for new nurses. Professional staff nurses also are expected to participate
voluntarily in nursing improvement projects and committee initiatives.
- Level
3: Senior Professional Staff Nurse
Designed for nurses
who want to advance their careers even further, Level 3 requires a minimum
of three years of experience, a 2.3 or above rating (three-point scale)
on a Level 2 performance evaluation, and certification
in a chosen specialty. Senior professional staff nurses serve as
leaders on their units and are role models for less experienced nurses.
UPMC will offer financial assistance to those nurses who are seeking
certification. Nurses with a master's degree or doctorate aren't required
to achieve certification. Within a year of appointment, and on an annual
basis, nurses at this level also must complete a project that helps
to meet the Health System's goals and is approved by their facility's
vice president of patient care services. Examples of projects include
a patient satisfaction improvement initiative, a work redesign project,
a recruitment or retention initiative, or a staff development initiative.
A bachelor's of science degree in nursing (BSN) is preferred at this
level but not required.
- Level 4: Clinician
or Primary Nurse Care Coordinator (PNCC)
There are two staff positions at this level: clinician and primary
nurse care coordinator. Clinicians are primarily responsible for serving
as unit leaders for work redesign initiatives and "fixing broken
systems." This work is vital for the future of nursing at UPMC.
Primary nurse care coordinators are responsible for the clinical coordination
and management of a caseload of patients.
A BSN will be required at this level, with a master's degree preferred.
For
more information, view
the Clinical Advancement Program brochure (pdf file) or contact
us.
Many
of our documents are available in PDF format. To read PDF files, Adobe
Acrobat Reader® software must be installed on your computer. Download
Acrobat Reader (free version)
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