Heart & Vascular Clinical Career Program
Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital
The Heart & Vascular Clinical Career Program (HVCCP) is designed to provide the direct care, regular full time, non-salaried clinical nurse with an opportunity for career advancement within the various departments of the Heart & Vascular Service Line. This program recognizes the accomplishments and the clinical expertise of the Registered Nurse in providing care that reflects the mission of the Heart & Vascular Service Line, the hospital and the mission, vision and values of the Phoebe Putney Health System.
The Heart & Vascular Clinical Career Board is the oversight body for the HVCCP program. The Board is comprised of representatives from the following areas:
1) 2 Physicians actively practicing within the departments of Cardiac Catheterization, Angiography and/or Electrophysiology
2) Vice President, Heart & Vascular Services
3) Administrative Director, Heart & Vascular Services
4) Cardiac Educator
The Board welcomes any feedback, changes or recommendations in the program. The group is also the review body for candidates seeking HVCCP recognition.
Application Process / Timeline
August 1st New Portfolio Year Begins
September 1st Intent to Level Letters Due
February 1st Last day to withdraw from program
October - November Interviews with Heart & Vascular Clinical
Career Board Scheduled
December Notification of Level Achievement
January Incentive Pay to begin the first pay period in
January
December Incentive Pay Stops last pay period in December of same year of Award
Goal: To provide an opportunity for the nurses to be rewarded for their nursing excellence.
Mission: To promote, reward, and recognize RNs for advancing their careers in ways that benefit patients, themselves as professional, the practice of nursing, the Heart & Vascular Service Line and the community of Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital.
By implementing the Heart & Vascular Clinical Career Program (HVCCP), Phoebe Putney Heart & Vascular Services recognizes that Registered Nurses are one of its most valuable resources and assets. Phoebe seeks to foster a work environment that enriches and promotes the professional nurse.
The clinical career program enhances the hospital’s commitment to promote clinical excellence by recognizing and rewarding Registered Nurses who proactively and consistently expand their professional role in patient care. Registered Nurses have long valued their role in caring for patients and families. HVCCP provides a way to formally recognize the Registered Nurse for their Clinical expertise in multiple departments and roles within Heart & Vascular Services.
Purpose: The HVCCP recognizes nursing skills of the Registered Nurse practicing in direct patient care, non-salaried positions. RNs participating in this program will exemplify professionalism, self-motivation, and critical thinking skills, be an active participant in unit leadership, serve as a role model for other staff, and offer compassionate patient care.
Philosophy: Phoebe Putney Heart & Vascular Services believes patient outcomes are improved when care is delivered by a professional team that is highly skilled, motivated towards continued learning, committed to the mission and goals of the hospital and dedicated to furthering the profession. Professional nursing is leadership, art, and science and is a reflection of a nurse’s practice, quality and competence.
A practice environment that includes a strong practice model that encourages and enhances these professional values:
· Integrity
· Compassion
· Accountability
· Respect
· Excellence
HVCCP Basic Information
This model is designed to keep talent within the various departments of Heart & Vascular Services and reward that talent for excellence in clinical practice. Nurses achieve Clinical Career advancement according to their experience performance, education and professional nursing excellence.
This is a dynamic program that encourages nurses to constantly strive to move forward, expand their skills, and not remain static. The criteria are multifaceted and encompass a spectrum of criteria that affords the nurse the opportunity to pursue personal interests and knowledge enhancement.
Candidates must:
§ Meet or Exceed performance on their annual evaluation
§ Be a regular Full Time employee as set forth by Human Resources
§ Be a direct care, non-salaried Registered Nurse
§ 75% of job responsibilities are Direct Patient Care
The Heart & Vascular Clinical Career Board meets quarterly for purpose of conducting review board business, reviewing HVCCP Portfolios, and Letters of Intent to Level. The Board also meets additional days during the October thru November time line to perform the annual review / award process.
RN Clinical Advancement Process:
1) Candidates will submit their Letter of Intent to Level to the Administrative Director, Heart & Vascular Service no later than September 1st.
a) The Letter of Intent to Level is considered a Professional Agreement between the candidate and the HVCCP Board.
The candidate will utilize their Professional Portfolio notebook. Appropriate dividers for the HCVVP portion will be provided.
b) If the candidate is unable to level, the candidate may withdraw their Letter of Intent by February 1, by notifying the HVCCP Board in writing.
c) Applicants that fail to complete/ maintain the clinical advancement commitment as agreed upon will not be eligible for review until the next HVCCP year. The applicant’s Manager / Director will notify Human Resources and discontinue the corresponding Potential incentive per hour.
d) Eligible candidates will be notified in writing of the review date before the HVCCP Board.
2) A candidate’s Letter of Intent will be reviewed for the level pursued. The candidate must appear personally before the HVCCP Board as needed. The meeting days / times are standardized to accommodate staff schedules.
The candidate should be prepared at that time for a 10 – 15 minute professional presentation highlighting their accomplishments.
3) As the minimum requirements to achieve each level is dependent upon the candidate’s ability to perform basic clinical care roles throughout various areas with the Heart & Vascular Center, when the candidate presents the HVCCP required material, all items within the Professional Portfolio will be included in the review process. The candidate needs to have all information contained within the Portfolio accurate and current. Once the candidate has submitted their Portfolio for review he / she may not modify the information or documents; no extensions are permitted for obtaining information or documents.
4) The candidate will be notified by the HVCCP Board of their Level of Achievement within 30 days of the review / interview.
5) Pay incentives will begin the first pay period in January following the review / interview and will stop the last pay period in December of that same year.
6) The candidate must reapply on an annual basis (by September 1st) to remain in the program.
7) The Heart & Vascular Clinical Career Program will follow the same review period as the Professional Portfolios (July – June).
Four Levels of Potential Achievement
Clinical Nurse I has acquired experience in caring for patients and has developed a sound understanding about care of a particular patient population.
Clinical Nurse II has acquired in-depth knowledge about the care of a particular patient population and an appreciation of the many factors influencing care. In caring for a patient, they consider not just the possibilities – or what could happen – but the probabilities – or what is likely to happen given the clinical and organizational factors at hand. Instinctively, they use this information to continually tailor their patients’ care to ensure the best outcomes.
Clinical Nurse III demonstrates foresight in planning patient care and is recognized as an expert in their areas of specialization and is adapt at negotiating conflict and in collaboration with others. This RN reflects clinical expertise and leadership abilities in the various departments of Heart & Vascular Services.
Clinical Nurse IV reflective by nature and readily integrates knowledge gained by reflection into their practice. They are able to respond intuitively to patient needs and to comfortably engage in clinically sound evidence based practice. They welcome new perspectives and seek out opportunities to share knowledge and insight with colleagues. Skilled at creative problem solving and in working with others, they routinely lead efforts to strengthen the many organizational systems that support patient care. Reflects advanced clinical expertise and leadership across the Heart & Vascular Service, Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital and the community.
Potential Incentive for Achieving Clinical Career Advancement
(the $$ amounts were removed for sharing – Contact Scott Hamrick at Phoebe for more information)
Level Annual Bonus Hourly Increase
Clinical Nurse I
Clinical Nurse II
Clinical Nurse III
Clinical Nurse IV
(All monies above are subject to state and federal taxes)