Clinical ladder to professional advancement program. An evolutionary process.

Since the early 1970s, clinical ladder programs have been a method of defining, recognizing, and rewarding nursing practice. As clinical practice in an institution grows and evolves, so must the program that supports the development of the practitioner. An in-depth evaluation of one clinical ladder program was conducted to determine if it was reflective of current practice. The authors discuss the method of evaluation, findings, and the revised program.