Professional Development

Our Mission Statement

To support the mission, vision, and values of the organization by reflecting a positive image of North Country Hospital through the Nursing Professional Practice Model.

North Country Hospital
Nurse Practice Council

• The primary goal for all nurses at North Country Health Systems is to provide quality patient care in an environment where patients and families can heal. This responsibility can be accomplished through following our Nursing Philosophy.
• The Nurse Practice Council makes recommendations and/or decisions about issues affecting nursing practice at North Country Health Systems. The Council acts in accordance with  the Nursing Philosophy and Mission StatementPhilosophy of Nursing Excellence of North Country Health Systems

North Country Hospital Clinical Ladder

As professional nurses working in a Critical Access Hospital, North Country Hospital RNs continuously strive to provide the best and safest care to our patients, their families, and the communities we serve. Many professional nurses here excel in their patient care responsibilities, their stewardship of resources, and their efforts to advance the nursing profession. The purpose of the Clinical Excellence Ladder advancement is to recognize and reward those nurses who go beyond the requirements of their position descriptions to create and sustain excellence in professional practice.

Goals of the Clinical Ladder

The Clinical Excellence Ladder serves as a vehicle to:

• Provide a challenging and nurturing environment allowing nurses to excel personally and professionally.
• Develop standards and evaluate nursing practice based on evidence-based research.
• Provide career mobility and compensation to all nurses and especially those who distinguish themselves through expert practice.
• Identify and develop leaders in the clinical staff.
• Recognize and reward outstanding clinical expertise of staff nurses.
• Increase personal job satisfaction.
• Improve retention of nurses by providing opportunities for advancement at the bedside.

Ladder Levels and Points

There are 4 levels of clinical practice defined at North Country Hospital and its Medical Practices.

• RN I is the entry level position for the graduate nurse RN without experience. This supervised position cannot exceed one (1) year.
• RN II is the entry level for the experienced RN performing direct clinical care with at least one (1) year of experience.
• RN III and IV levels require the RN to submit an application for the Clinical Excellence Ladder.

North Country Hospital’s Clinical Excellence Ladder for RNs is based on a point system. Each enrolled nurse will keep track of points earned during the program year. The Ladder requires a designated number of points for levels III and IV. It is the responsibility of the professional nurse to maintain a record of his/her activities and achievements for the Ladder. This record will be in the form of a “portfolio” presented to the Clinical Excellence Ladder Committee at the time of application. The ladder establishes the expectation that the nurse will be personally accountable for his/her practice.

Achievement of a level will qualify the professional nurse for a pay incentive.