At this year’s ANPD Annual Convention, StaffGarden’s own Clinical Professional Development Specialists Allison Wild MSN, RN, NPD-BC, EBP-C, PCCN and Kristen Soegeng DNP, MSN-ED, RN, were joined by Valley Health Henderson Hospital’s Education Manager Julia Vasquez MSN, CENP, RN to deliver a forward-looking session on one of the most pressing challenges in nursing today: how to retain and empower top-performing clinical teams through smarter, more strategic professional development programs.
The session, “Climbing with Purpose: Elevating Your Professional Development Program to Engage & Retain Top-Performing Clinical Teams,” addressed the realities of turnover, the gaps in current NPD practices, and the strategies today’s nursing leaders need to create more connected, competent, and committed clinical teams.
As healthcare systems work to reduce nurse turnover, many are taking a closer look at the quality and structure of their orientation, competency, and clinical ladder programs. The stakes are high: the 2025 NSI National Health Care Retention & RN Staffing Report cites the average annual cost of RN turnover per hospital at $4.75 million.
So why do nurses leave? In a recent study published in The Journal of Nursing Administration, two of the most common responses from stay interviews were: “salary,” and “lack of professional growth.” While salary may be difficult to control, professional growth is not.
Although NPD teams have a unique opportunity to strengthen retention by providing clear, purposeful, and accessible advancement pathways, many traditional professional development programs—particularly paper-based clinical ladders—are time-consuming to manage and inconsistent in delivery.
When the path forward is blocked by towers of paperwork, nurses can’t see how to grow in their roles—so they disengage. To remedy this, NPD teams are reimagining professional development from the ground up.
In the session, Allison and Kristen emphasized that professional development is a journey—not a checklist. The most effective NPD programs make use of best practices including:
• Competency-Based Orientation: Adult learners arrive with varying levels of experience. Orientation programs must validate existing knowledge and focus on role-specific competencies rather than following prescribed timelines.
• Progressive Skill Development: Also known as the tiered skills acquisition model (TSAM), this approach builds learners’ capabilities from foundational to advanced. It ensures ongoing competency while empowering new hires to grow with confidence.
• Standardized Competency Statements: Moving beyond checklists, well-written competency statements promote critical thinking, provide guidance to preceptors, and drive consistency across departments.
• Structured Clinical Ladders: Reward and recognition programs that include evidence-based practice, education, mentorship, and volunteer work help nurses find long-term meaning in their roles.
By approaching professional development critically from orientation through advancement, NPDs can foster a culture of excellence and reinforce the message that professional growth is not only supported but expected from nurses.
Allison and Kristen addressed the importance of aligning development programs with broader institutional goals, regulatory requirements, and accreditation efforts.
Whether it’s integrating HAI reduction strategies into ladder pathways or aligning competencies with national nursing standards, the message was clear: strategic alignment amplifies NPD impact.
Leaders should regularly evaluate how their clinical ladder and orientation programs support organizational initiatives such as Magnet designation, Healthy Work Environment standards, and Joint Commission expectations. Programs that reflect systemwide priorities will not only gain leadership support, but also drive measurable improvements in quality and retention.
StaffGarden's digital platform was designed specifically to support the complex needs of NPD professionals. During the session, Julia Vasquez shared how her team at Henderson Hospital, Valley Health transitioned from a paper-based clinical ladder to a digital platform—and saw participation double within a year.
What made the difference?
• Real-time visibility into progress and completion rates
• Streamlined workflows that save educators time
• Improved accountability and engagement from participants
• Data insights that support leadership reporting and ROI conversations
Vasquez noted that seasoned nurses who once struggled with manual processes are now some of the strongest advocates for the digital solution: “They remember how tedious the old process was… and now they’re completing it in real time.”
Retaining and empowering top-performing clinical teams starts with rethinking how we approach professional development. With competency-based orientation and strategic ladder alignment, the path to stronger retention becomes clear and achievable.
Reach out to StaffGarden today and discover how our digital platform can help you align strategy, drive quality, and build a clinical team that climbs with purpose.
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