Professional Nurse Advancement Programs: The Face of Leadership at the Bedside

Aims and Objective: This article reviews a professional nurse advancement program and describes how it benefits patient care, staff engagement, and patient satisfaction. Background: Existing literature notes that professional nurse advancement programs can empower nurses to improve nursing care at the bedside and contribute to a safe patient care environment. Method: The article reviews the qualitative exploration of the activities of participants in a professional nurse advancement program to determine the impact on patient care and identify benefits of the program. The article summarizes findings from thematic and narrative technique analysis of semistructured interviews with nurses, nurse leaders, and nurse administrators, and reviews of nurses' portfolio information. Results: Implementation of a professional nurse advancement program correlated with decreased patient falls, increased bedside clinician involvement in research, and positive outcomes in nursing quality indicators. Conclusion: A professional nurse advancement program fosters continued professional growth and opportunities for advancement; promotes pride, personal responsibility, and respect for self; and prepares and enables nurses to lead change in advancing health in communities.