Innovations in Clinical Ladder Programs: Trends and Strategies from AONL & Laudio

Dec. 9, 2026 at 11 AM CT

Innovations in Clinical Ladder Programs: Trends and Strategies from AONL & Laudio

AONL is leading a national effort to better understand key, emerging workforce challenges and identify practice strategies to support nurse leaders. New generations entering the workforce bring different expectations and many organizations are re-evaluating the purpose and strategies behind their Clinical Ladder Programs (CLPs).   
This live, virtual session from AONL and Laudio Insights shares findings from a recent national analysis of 41,500 RNs and 70,500 ladder applications and highlights how activity types, ladder levels, and advancement criteria differ across organizations. Nurse leaders and executives will come away with practical, data-backed strategies to modernize CLPs for stronger engagement, retention, and career growth. 

About the Presenters

Joni Watson, DNP, MBA, RN, OCN, Senior Director, Professional Practice, AONL

Joni L. Watson, DNP, MBA, RN, OCN, is a nationally recognized nurse executive, oncology leader, strategist and scholar whose work advances nursing leadership, workforce transformation, professional practice and evidence dissemination. She serves as senior director of professional practice for the American Organization for Nursing Leadership, editor of the Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, and holds adjunct appointments at the Duke University School of Nursing and the University of Texas at Tyler. Drawing on clinical, executive, academic, publishing and entrepreneurial experience, Dr. Watson develops innovative programs, partnerships and resources that strengthen nurse leaders, demonstrate the value and impact of nursing and improve healthcare delivery.

Tim Darling, President, Laudio Insights 

Tim Darling is a co-founder of Laudio and President of Laudio Insights. With over 20 years of experience in health care technology, Tim has a real passion for using data and analytics to serve the challenges facing health care organizations. Laudio Insights, the analytics and research arm of Laudio, provides unique perspectives on some of health system leaders’ most complex challenges. 

Erin LaCross, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, CENP, SVP, Nursing Professional Development, Parkview Health 

Erin LaCross joined Parkview Health in 2003 and currently serves as Senior Vice President, Nursing Professional Development, and as chief nursing officer for Parkview Regional Medical Center & Affiliates in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Throughout her tenure, she has led initiatives supporting nurses with successful onboarding, continued growth and development, and succession planning, and she played an instrumental role in helping Parkview achieve Magnet® designation in 2017. 
Erin has authored or co-authored scholarly articles in international nursing journals on nursing manager succession planning and innovative methods of retaining an experienced nursing workforce, and has presented on behalf of Parkview Health at local and national conferences. She earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Indianapolis and is a member of the inaugural AONL Nurse Executive Fellowship Cohort (2019). 

Tracy Gosselin, PhD, RN, AOCN, NEA-BC, FAAN 

Dr. Tracy Gosselin is the chief nurse executive, senior vice president, and department chair at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. She has been a registered nurse for almost 30 years. She received her BSN degree from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, her MSN degree from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and her PhD degree from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. 
She is a member of numerous professional organizations including the American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing, the American Organization of Nursing Leadership, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Sigma Theta Tau, the Oncology Nursing Society, and the American Nurses Association. She serves as the chair of the AAACN Legislative Committee.