Regional West Medical center has Registered Nurse (RN) and Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) clinical ladders that recognize professional growth and development and contributions beyond expected performance. The ladder provides recognition, personal satisfaction, and economic reward. The content and process for review are managed by the Shared Governance Professional Practice Council.
Shared Governance
The nursing philosophy at Regional West is shared governance. The staff nurse shares in the decision-making at both the unit and division level of nursing. This is accomplished through unit practice councils and system shared governance councils. Point of care decision-making is crucial to the quality of patient care, patient satisfaction, and staff satisfaction.
Orientation and Clinical Preceptors
In addition to hospital and unit specific orientation, new employees will have the advantage of a trained preceptor to support their transition to the new role. Newly licensed Registered Nurses will be part of the Nurse Residency program provided by Regional West.
Tuition Reimbursement
Regional West offers a generous tuition reimbursement program for nurses who want to continue their education. The hospital also offers training programs through online workshops. An annual staff needs-assessment helps identify potential topics for future workshops. Regional West also supports continuing education through a flexible scheduling approach and peer support.
Specialty Areas
Regional West offers specialty areas including a Level II trauma center, emergency services, Air Link, intensive care and progressive care, behavioral health, cardiac rehab, endoscopy, home care, hospice, palliative care, interventional radiology, labor and delivery, level two neonatal intensive care, oncology, outpatient surgery, post-anesthesia, acute rehabilitation, and surgery. In addition, Regional West pays for successful completion of specialty certifications in multiple areas.