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Fresenius Medical Care North America will expand a program that provides nurses with a career ladder, which encourages professional development and education in nephrology.

After_approximately three months of operation, the first regional pilot was completed in June, and Fresenius said it plans to roll out the program nationwide by the end of next year. All Fresenius staff nurses will be enrolled in the program, where they will focus their studies on various nephrology-related topics, with course complexity ranging from beginner to advanced practitioner. The company helps pay tuition and education costs as an employee benefit.

“Fresenius Medical Care developed this program to enhance our nurses’ ability to develop themselves in areas leading to higher quality care, as well as better patient and staff satisfaction,” said Athena Palearas, vice president of education at Fresenius Medical Care. “Career ladders are important to the professional development of nurses, giving them choices about how and where to improve their skills, and a vision for their self-development.”

This program outlines four practice tiers among registered nurses. Staff members can advance up the clinical ladder by developing new skills through education and outreach. For example, after developing advanced knowledge in areas such as diabetes and anemia, a nurse might make presentations to a nursing program or fellow staff. It normally takes a nurse about two years to advance from one level to the next through the program.