Clinical Ladder Advancement Improves Retention, AONL Report Finds

Nurses who advance through their clinical ladder programs are significantly more likely to remain with their organization, especially early in their tenure, according to an AONL and Laudio Insights report. Nurses awarded a clinical ladder level within their first year of employment had a 91% retention rate at the two-year mark, a statistically significant 10-percentage point advantage compared with nurses who had not earned a level on a clinical ladder. Based on national data from 41,500 RNs and interviews with nurse executives and nursing professional development leaders from 11 U.S. health systems, the report shows how clinical ladder programs vary in design, participation and impact. It identifies six priorities for modernizing programs, including aligning them with organizational strategy, simplifying participation and creating accessible pathways into evidence-based practice and research. (AONL news release, 9/28/26)