Professional Ladder

St. Luke's clinical ladder program provides several levels of non-managerial professional advancement well above the starting pay range. Clinical ladder advancement is based on experience, continuing education, teaching, contributions to clinical practice and expanded clinical roles. Additionally, several residency programs are available for nurses at St. Luke's, including Critical Care Orientation, Maternity Services, Pediatrics, NICU and the Emergency Department.

A Rewarding Program

Looking for something rewarding? Do the following describe things you currently do?...things you would like to do? St. Luke's Professional Ladder could be for you!

• Working for national certification
• Participating in continuing education
• Working toward an advanced degree
• Providing certification instruction
• Serving as a preceptor or teaching
• Participating in a professional society
• Conducting research & publishing
• Participating in St. Luke’s and/or clinically-oriented community activities
• Chairing or leading committees
• Participating in program development
• Cross-training to other areas

Professional Ladder Objectives

The Professional Ladder was developed to recognize specific patient care employees for their achievements in practice, professional development, adaptability and teamwork and to enhance the recruitment and retention of experienced staff.

Retention:	To provide the opportunity for promotional pay increases for those who meet the ladder criteria in order to encourage employees to stay in the complex care environment.
Excellence:	To encourage and recognize excellence in practice.
Development:	To recognize and encourage professional development and to further recognize participation and involvement in improving the department and the care environment.
Multi-Disciplinary Team:	To provide a multi-disciplinary ladder with a common criteria which promotes organizational teamwork and our values across professional disciplines.
Adaptability:	To encourage employees to cross-train to different areas to support patient and staffing needs. To better recognize the unique contributions made everyday by employees who go the extra mile to help meet patient care needs.
Recruitment:	To facilitate competitive salary offers for new, experienced professionals.

Eligibility to Apply

To apply for the Professional Ladder, you must be in a Professional Ladder eligible job and meet the threshold minimum requirements. If you meet these minimum requirements for Levels III, IV, or V, you can request a Professional Ladder Points Packet that contains instructions on how to complete an application.

If you are a first time applicant to the Professional Ladder, the highest level you can reach on your first application year is Level III. You must then progress through the levels in step-by-step increments (e.g., III to IV, IV to V) for each subsequent application year.

Professional Ladder-Eligible Jobs*

Chaplain Child Life Specialist CV Technologist Cytotechnologist Dietitian Dosimetrist Histotechnologist Invasive Technologist Medical Imaging Technologist Medical Technologist

Neurodiagnostics Technologist Occupational Therapist Physical Therapist Polysom Technologist Pulmonary Function Technologist Radiation Therapist Registered Nurse Registered Pharmacist Registered Respiratory Therapist Social Worker Speech Pathologist

* For a detailed list of Professional Ladder eligible jobs, see your department director.

Threshold Minimum Requirements

The chart below indicates the criteria requirements necessary to reach Career Levels I-IV of the Professional Ladder.

Threshold Minimum Requirements
Criteria Requirements	Career Level I	Career Level II	Career Level III	Career Level IV and V
Performance Score		200	260	310
Corrective Action			No corrective action at (or above) the written level
FTE Level			.5 FTE Level	.8 FTE Level
Education and Experience	Current license/permit, CPR, Safety and TB Test. Also advanced life support (if required for job)
	Minimum certification and/or degree appropriate to entry level for profession
		On-time license renewal
		1 year Experience	2 years experience OR Degree + 1 year experience	3 years experience OR Degree + 2 years experience
Professional Development		Demonstrates competence via skills lab (or equivalent)
Professional Role			Organizational values rating of 2

You must meet the requirements for all lower Career Levels before qualifying for a higher Career Level–for example, if you meet all the criteria for Level III, you must also have met all the criteria for Level I and II before qualifying for Level III. Follow the steps below to see what Career Level you currently qualify for.

Step 1: Career Level I

Career Level I has two criteria. Current license/permit, CPR, Safety and TB Test — also advanced life support (if required for job) Minimum certification and/or degree appropriate to entry level for profession. If you meet both criteria, go to Step 2. If not, stop here and set goals to work on the criteria that are unmet.

Step 2: Career Level II

Career Level II has four criteria. Performance score of at least 200. On-time license renewal. One year of experience in your professional role. Demonstrated competence via the skills lab (or equivalent). If you meet all four criteria, go to Step 3. If not, stop here and set goals to work on the criteria that are unmet.

Step 3: Career Level III

Career Level III has five criteria. Performance score of at least 260. No corrective actions at (or above) the written level. Normally pre-scheduled at least .5 FTE. Two years of experience in your field OR have one year of experience and hold a degree in your field that is one level above entry level in your professional role. Rating of at least 2 on each of St. Luke’s organizational values. If you meet all five criteria, go to Step 4. If not, stop here and set goals to work on the criteria that are unmet.

Step 4: Career Level IV and V

Career Levels IV and V have three criteria. Performance score of at least 310. Normally pre-scheduled at least .8 FTE. Three years of experience in your field OR have two years of experience in your field and hold a degree in your field that is one level above entry level in your professional role. If you meet all three criteria, then you meet the minimum requirements for Levels IV and V. Congratulations! The next step is to request a Professional Ladder Packet. If you have not met all three criteria, you are almost there. Set goals to work on the criteria that are unmet. How to Request a Professional Ladder Packet It's simple! To request a Professional Ladder Packet, see your department director. The Packet will provide detailed instructions on points for Career Levels III, IV, and V and how to apply for the Professional Ladder.