(Oct. 2, 2026) – Research from AONL and Laudio offers nurse leaders a closer look at how clinical ladder programs can support retention and career growth.
A new report, Innovations in Clinical Ladder Programs: Trends and Strategies, combines national data from 41,500 RNs with insights from nurse leaders across 11 U.S. health systems to examine the link between clinical ladder advancement, professional growth and retention. Among the most significant findings, nurses awarded a clinical ladder level within their first year of employment had a 91 percent retention rate at the two-year mark, 10 percentage points higher than nurses who had not earned a level.
The report examines where traditional clinical ladder programs may be falling short and identifies six priorities for modernizing them, ranging from aligning them with organizational strategy to simplifying participation and creating more accessible opportunities for professional growth.
--Terry Siek