SE3

 

Commitment to Professional Development SE3

 

Provide a narrative description of the organization’s action plan for registered nurses’ progress toward obtaining professional board certification; narrative must include:

• State the targeted goal
• How target was established
• What strategies were utilized to achieve or maintain the target
• How the nurses are supported to achieve or maintain professional board certification

 

 

Organization Action Plan for RN Professional Board Certification

Targeted Goal

The Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) St. Vincent Hot Springs (SVHS) annual target for registered nurses’ progress toward obtaining professional board certification is a ≥2% biennial increase.

 

Due to extenuating circumstances within CHI SVHS, the target goal was changed in July 2022. The COVID pandemic brought on unforeseen nursing staffing shortages, as CHI SVHS had more RN turnover than in the past. With the Great Resignation and nurses leaving jobs to travel, the Interprofessional Practice Council (IPC) believed the certification goal needed to be adjusted. The targeted goal was decreased to ≥0.5% biennial increase in the percentage of RNs holding a professional board certification.

 

How the Target was Established for RN Professional Board Certification

The CHI SVHS Interprofessional Shared Governance (ISG) structure reviews and updates the action plan for establishing the targeted goal for CHI SVHS RNs with a professional board certification annually. The CHI SVHS ISG structure consists of four levels of governance councils; these include the IPC, which makes organizational decisions. The CHI SVHS IPC was facilitated and led by Clinical Nurse Allison Fitts, RN, CMSRN, 4 East Medical/Surgical, IPC Chair from July 2020 to June 2022. The IPC makes organization-wide decisions through a representative group of clinical nurses.

 

The assistant chief nursing officer (role of CNO), clinical directors, and the Magnet Program director attend and actively participate in the IPC. However, only one clinical director representative has voting privileges, and the CNO only votes when there is a tie. This nursing administration group also meets biweekly in the SG Nursing Executive Council (NEC).

 

In accordance with the bylaws, the purposes of CHI SVHS Nursing Professional Shared Governance (NPSG) include professional development:

• “The NPSG shall promote the ongoing development of members through education, mentorship, peer review and recognition opportunities.”

 

During the Nursing Strategic Planning Summit on July 9, 2021, the IPC, under the direction of Teresa Lambert, MBA, BSN, RN, CHI SVHS Vice President of Patient Care Services/Assistant Chief Nursing Officer (role of CNO) reviewed the current percentage of RNs holding a professional board certification. The summit attendees, consisting of the CHI SVHS IPC members and additional invitees (see table below) reviewed the strategic priorities for FY 2021-2025 and the current professional board certification percentages to establish the targeted goal.

 

Nursing Strategic Planning Summit Attendees
Name/Credentials	Discipline	Title/Role	Department
Bryan Williams, DNP, MBA, RN, NE-BC	Nursing	St. Vincent Market Chief Nursing Executive/Senior Vice President Patient Care Services	Administration
Teresa Lambert, MBA, BSN, RN, OCN	Nursing	SVHS Vice President Patient Care Services Assistant Chief Nursing Officer	Administration
Laura Murphy, BSN, RN	Nursing	Nursing Excellence Manager/Magnet Program Director	Clinical Education/ Clinical Informatics
Allison Fitts, RN, CMSRN	Nursing	Clinical Nurse, Chair	4 East Medical/Surgical
Lyssa Edwards, BSN, RN, WOCN	Nursing	Clinical Nurse	IP Diabetes Wound
Carla Buttrum, RN	Nursing	Clinical Nurse	LDRP
Sierra Mueller, RN	Nursing	Clinical Nurse	OR
Logan Jenkins, BSN, RN, CCRN	Nursing	Clinical Nurse	Surgical ICU
Ann Myles, BSN, RN	Nursing	Clinical Nurse	Emergency Department
Jamie Sills		Executive Assistant	Nursing Administration
Charity Hixon, MSN, RN	Nursing	Market Director Infection Prevention	Infection Prevention
Tonya Baier, BSN, RN, CNML	Nursing	Clinical Director Nursing	Nursing Administration
Kaitlyn Atkins, MSN, RN, PCN	Nursing	Clinical Director Nursing	Nursing Administration
Vicky Sanders, MSN, RN, CNML	Nursing	Clinical Director Nursing	Nursing Administration

 

On September 20, 2021, the attendees of the Nursing Strategic Planning Summit from the CHI SVHS Nurse Executive Council (NEC), along with Laura Murphy, BSN, RN, Magnet Program Director, reviewed and approved the action plan that the attendees had developed at the July 2021 summit. The summit attendees included nurses from all four hospitals in the market, including the chief nurse executive, chief nursing officers, and clinical directors of nursing. The action plan they developed included the established target, strategies to achieve the target, and how nurses are supported to obtain professional nurse certification.

 

Strategies to Achieve the RN Professional Board Certification Target

Clinical Ladder
The CHI St. Vincent Clinical Ladder program, which uses a clinical track framework, provides recognition and rewards for bedside nurses who demonstrate initiative and progression toward expert clinical skills. The Clinical Ladder program, which has been in effect since the goal was established in 2021, is based on RN levels. RNs are hired as RN 1s and must submit the required documentation to advance to RN 2, RN 3, or RN 4. Applicants for the RN3 level must hold a professional board certification or a minimum of a BSN degree. The RN 4 level requires professional board certification and a minimum of BSN degree. This program therefore promotes professional board certification in nursing by helping RNs achieve higher levels on the ladder. Clinical nurse Clinical Ladder champions promote the program to nurses, and those achieving the level of RN 2 or higher receive recognition and a monetary award through an hourly differential.

 

Certified Nurses Day
CHI SVHS recognizes nurses holding a professional board certification on Certified Nurses Day each year, with the most recent celebration in March 2023. Nurses holding a professional board certification joined the nursing administration team for a celebratory breakfast in honor of their achievement to celebrate with their peers, managers, and the leadership team. A banner was updated for Certified Nurses Day, listing the professional board-certified nurses at CHI SVHS and their credentials. This banner was also hung in the main hallway of CHI SVHS for everyone to see. Professional board-certified nurses were given a certified nurse t-shirt in 2023 to wear on Certified Nurses Day and on any other days during the year when CHI SVHS t-shirts are allowed to be worn.

 

Quarterly Professional Development Update
Since the certification goal was established in 2021, nursing administration has held quarterly nursing fairs to promote professional development, including obtaining professional board certification. The fairs include information from online and local colleges and universities, and information about professional board certification, degree advancement, and tuition reimbursement. Nursing administration promotes attendance at the quarterly fair by allotting time for clinical nurses to attend during working hours and providing food, fun learning activities, and raffles with prizes. Nursing managers cover the nurses’ patient care while they are away from their units.

 

Annual Performance Appraisals
Annual performance appraisals for RNs include goals for professional development, including professional board certification since the certification goal was established in 2021. The collaborative process through which the nurse and their direct manager set goals includes determining professional growth opportunities such as obtaining a professional board certification.

 

Organizational Support to Achieve or Maintain RN Professional Board Certification

Clinical Ladder Reimbursement
The organization dedicates resources to the development and maintenance of the Clinical Ladder program, which directly supports nurses in obtaining professional board certification. In addition, the organization pays working hours for the clinical nurse Clinical Ladder champions to promote the program and attend monthly Clinical Ladder meetings.

 

In 2021, 2022, and 2023, Clinical Ladder participants who achieved the level of RN 2 or higher received the following compensation:

• RN 2 – $2.00/hour
• RN 3 – $4.00/hour
• RN 4 – $6.00/hour

 

The organization purchased badges to recognize the achievement of these nurses. The badge denotes the RN level and year, so each participant may receive one or two Clinical Ladder badges per year. The administration also recognized the Clinical Ladder awardees by presenting them with a certificate and badge with the RN level they achieved at a breakfast in their honor.

Reimbursement for Professional Certification
CHI SVHS reimburses nurses for the certification exam expenses. Clinical nurses are reimbursed for the certification exam regardless of whether they pass. Nurses can be reimbursed for the same certification exam twice within a fiscal year (July-June). Certification renewals are eligible for reimbursement via the same process as for the initial exam. Since the certification goal was established in 2021, SVHS reimburses clinical nurses for one certification renewal per fiscal year.