Registered Nurses
Registered nurses have extensive opportunities at UPMC. To help smooth your transition, we offer a one-time paid time off (PTO) advance, which gives you the opportunity to enjoy time off in a brand new position while you accrue your regular paid time off. Based on your years of experience, you are eligible for up to 120 hours of PTO advance.
Clinical Ladder
Our current clinical ladder, called the Clinical Advancement Program (CAP), provides a career track for nurses who want to remain at the bedside. It was developed first, and most importantly, to attract and retain our best and brightest nurses — through incentives for financial and professional growth — to perform the most vital nursing work in our system: bedside patient care. It also aims to create barrier-free work environments with systems that support nursing practice, while ensuring that UPMC nurses have the resources necessary to do their work effectively.
There are four advancement levels in the program.
Clinical Advancement Program – Levels
Level 1: Staff Nurse
This is an entry-level position for new graduates who are in their first year of practice. It is intended to be a novice level of practice in which new graduates are learning their roles and developing their skills and abilities — often through the mentoring of a more experienced nurse.
In order to progress to Level 2, a nurse must successfully complete licensure requirements, have a minimum of six months of experience, and receive a satisfactory performance appraisal.
Level 2: Professional Staff Nurse
This position is designed to recognize and reward UPMC's skilled, competent professional staff nurses. Nurses may elect to remain at this level throughout their careers. Incremental salary increases based on performance and experience are built into the program.
As their experience grows, professional staff nurses are increasingly relied upon to serve as patient care leaders and may serve as preceptors for new nurses. Professional staff nurses also are encouraged to voluntarily participate in nursing improvement projects and committee initiatives.
Level 3: Senior Professional Staff Nurse
Designed for nurses who want to advance their careers even further, Level 3 requires a minimum of three years of experience, a 2.3 or above rating (three-point scale) on a Level 2 performance evaluation, and certification in a chosen specialty. Senior professional staff nurses serve as leaders on their units, and are role models for less experienced nurses.
UPMC will offer financial assistance to those nurses who are seeking certification. Nurses with a master's degree or doctorate aren't required to achieve certification, but are strongly encouraged to do so. Within a year of appointment, and on an annual basis, nurses at this level also must complete a project that helps to meet UPMC’s goals and is approved by their facility's vice president of patient care services. Examples of projects include a patient satisfaction improvement initiative, a work redesign project, recruitment or retention initiative, or a staff development initiative.
A bachelor's of science degree in nursing (BSN) is preferred at this level but not required.
Level 4: Clinician or Primary Nurse Care Coordinator (PNCC)
There are two staff positions at this level: clinician and primary nurse care coordinator. Clinicians are primarily responsible for serving as unit leaders for work redesign initiatives and "fixing broken systems." This work is vital for the future of nursing at UPMC. Primary nurse care coordinators are responsible for the clinical coordination and management of a caseload of patients.
A BSN is required at this level, with a master's degree preferred.