title: The Vanderbilt Professional Nursing Practice Program: part 1: Growing and supporting professional nursing practice.
abstract: Professional practice programs are designed to attract, retain, and reward nurses. This three-part series will describe Vanderbilt's performance-based career advancement system, the Vanderbilt Professional Nursing Practice Program (VPNPP). Part 1 outlines the overall program's foundation, philosophical background, and basic structure. The VPNPP is built upon Benner's work, distinguishing among four levels of practice: novice, competent, proficient, and expert. Work by many in the organization identified the expected behaviors for nurses at each level, which were then used to develop clear process evaluation criteria. Part 2 will examine the performance measurement and evaluation system created to support the program. The process of advancing within the program will be described in part 3.
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D002322:Career Mobility; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004650:Employee Performance Appraisal; D006801:Humans; D007587:Job Description; D016294:Models, Nursing; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education* / Q000592:standards*; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010560:Personnel Selection / Q000458:organization & administration; D010686:Philosophy, Medical; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012201:Reward; D012944:Social Support; D013192:Staff Development / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013714:Tennessee