Beyond a Clinical Ladder: A Career Pathway for Professional Development and Recognition of Oncology Nurses.

Nurses at this Magnet®-recognized, National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center restructured an existing clinical ladder program based on Benner's model and implemented an evidence-based progressive career development program for staff nurses. The revised program defines structured performance expectations and requirements for promotion and role maintenance, which encourage individual engagement and accountability. This article describes the creation and implementation of the clinical advancement program as well as outcomes of the 1st 10 years of the program.