The Western Pennsylvania Hospital

Professional Recognition Program

The Professional Recognition Program at The Western Pennsylvania Hospital is a mentored clinical ladder program that provides an opportunity for nurses who demonstrate superior knowledge and clinical nursing skills to advance to positions that capitalize on their expertise in delivering direct patient care.

Nurses in the position of Clinical Nurse II who have achieved goals in a variety of areas of patient care and education, contributed to their units, the hospital, and their communities, are eligible and are encouraged to submit a letter of intent.

Those who are accepted into the program are assigned a mentor and prepare a portfolio documenting their completion of challenging self-examination tasks that demonstrate their practice at the Clinical Nurse III level.

Recognitions for Professional Achievements

Staff nurses are recognized for their professional achievements in many ways. The annual "Celebration of Excellence in Nursing" event recognizes those who have achieved professional recognitions, including clinical ladder advancement, appointment to the Academy of Excellence, or certification in a nursing specialty, and those who have represented West Penn in the Cameos of Caring award program.

West Penn nurses' academic and clinical advancements are recognized and reported in Professional Paradigms, Hospital publications and often in the media.

• View Professional Paradigms.
• Read about recent public recognitions of excellence in nursing services at West Penn.

"West Penn Hospital has an excellent reputation for patient care and I see this among my co-workers every day."

ANCC Web site