Genetic Counseling Career Ladder. Christine G. Spaeth, MS, LGC Licensed Genetic Counselor & Clinical Manager January 2019

Transcription

1 Genetic Counseling Career Ladder Christine G. Spaeth, MS, LGC Licensed Genetic Counselor & Clinical Manager January 2019

2 Goals and Objectives Discuss benefits and key elements of successful career ladders Provide examples of career ladder and promotion process at Cincinnati Children s Discuss process of revising career ladder

3 Career Ladder Describes the progression from entry level positions to higher levels of pay, skill, responsibility or authority Also describes a formal process within an organization that allows employees to advance their careers

4 Benefits For the employee Satisfaction Motivation Financial incentive Professional development For the employer / institution Staff retention Recruitment Helps differentiate your program from competitors Engagement of GC team Wusik & Shannon, 2016 AEC

5 Elements Based on job descriptions and/or competencies which are clearly outlined and understandable Provide an opportunity to recognize an employee s performance Help set goals for future performance for individuals which are in line with institutional / departmental goals Provide realistic opportunities for advancement Wusik & Shannon, 2016 AEC

6 Keys to success Need buy-in from stake-holders, HR, and managers who will make or approve the decision for promotion Develop clear expectations and communication about the benchmarks and process for promotion Create benchmarks that are attainable but make the employees stretch and are in-line with institutional / divisional goals Consider formal mentoring process Wusik & Shannon, 2016 AEC

7 CCHMC Career Ladder

8 Cincinnati Children s >30 GCs Clinic, Clinical Lab, Genetic Counseling Program Career ladder eligible 25 within Division of Human Genetics 2 within Heart Institute

9 History 2005: Career ladder implemented 2009: 1 st set of revisions 2016: 2 nd set of revisions (in process)

10 CCHMC GC Career Ladder 3 tiers: GCI, GCII, GCIII Inclusive of all GC roles Consistent across Cincinnati Children s Develop job descriptions Purpose, skills, education/work experience

11 Highlights: 2009 Job Descriptions GCI GCII GCIII Required training and experience Master s degree from ABGC accredited program or equivalent Certification or board eligibility for ABMG or ABGC Prepare adequately for board exam Board certification Minimum of two years full-time experience Approval from Clinical manager and/or promotion committee within Division. Minimum of four years full-time experience Purpose of position To provide clinical care, contribute towards clinical research, and/or support clinical laboratory services by using basic genetic counseling skills and competencies. To recognize the need for professional growth and to take appropriate steps toward meeting educational needs. Demonstrate advanced level of clinical practice skills in area of expertise. Work independently in clinical care, education, research or other related area. Serve as role model for other genetic counselors and healthcare professionals that you interact with regularly. Perform a leadership role in clinical care, education, research or other related area. Contribute ongoing academic output through grant writing, publication, and/or presentation on a regional and/or national level. Required skills Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills. Organized and detail oriented. Thorough knowledge of theories and principles of human genetics, as well as broad knowledge of genetic disease. Support of Cincinnati Children s mission statement. Independently provide clinical genetic counseling or use those skills to independently perform research or laboratory roles Ability to teach/supervise students at the University level. Serving as a role model for other professionals in area of expertise. Perform leadership role and capable of representing Division on a regional and / or national level.

12 Limitations of v.2009 No clear benchmarks to help differentiate between GC promotion levels GCIII promotion requires leadership intentionally open-ended but can be subjective Benchmarks for years of experience based on prior exam cycle Years of experience vs. accomplishments

13 New Challenges in 2016 Internal Increased number of GCs Ohio Licensure & Medical Staff Privileging Increased diversity of roles Desire to maximize GC retention, job satisfaction and recruitment External Increased demand for GCs Turn-over for opportunities not available at CCHMC

14 GC Career Ladder Work Group Chair: Katie Wusik Members: Jennifer Hopper, Jodie Johnson, Hannah Mianzo, Erin Miller, Ashley Parrott, Leandra Tolusso, Elizabeth Ulm

15 Overview: 2016 changes Recommend increasing minimum years of experience from 4 to 6 for GCIII Develop benchmarks which can be used as promotion tool Actively engage peer mentors

16 Promotion Process Promotion Committee consisting of GC representatives, clinical faculty and lab director 2 cycles/year Cycle 1: application due in March, committee meets in April Cycle 2: application due in September, committee meets in October Committee approves or defers promotion Manager communicates recommendations to business team and applicant

17 Promotion application GC career ladder promotion tool CV in CCHMC Department of Pediatrics format Evaluation/Goals from 2 prior reviews Letters of recommendation Cover letter Brief application form

18 Benchmark Tool Divided into 3 areas common to all job roles Research Education Service Minimum number needed for each promotion level Benchmarks reviewed/approved by promotion committee Encourage GCI/IIs to discuss benchmark with peer mentors during goal-setting

19 Example: Education GCI GCII GCIII GCIV Attendance at divisional/cchmc lectures Supervise trainees Present divisional/cchmc lectures Supervise more trainees Develop client educational materials Present at regional meetings or grand rounds Organize or develop trainee / staff rotation Contribute to textbook Present at national /international meetings Coordinate national educational series Editor of textbook Ability to add other items must indicate activity, proposed GC level, and justification in GC remarks

20 Challenges with v.2016 revisions Barriers to adding GCIV/Faculty status Revising job descriptions Can t implement new criteria for year of experience without revising job descriptions Grandfather clause for individuals applying for GCIII Application of benchmark tool

21 Summary Career ladder can be useful to encourage professional development and enhance GC retention Career ladders are dynamic documents which will need to be revised over time

22 References Cao & Thomas. (2013). When Developing a Career Path, What are the Key Elements to Include? Cornell University. Drenkard & Swartwout. (2005). Effectiveness of a Clinical Ladder Program. JONA. 35(11): Gresch. (2009). Developing a Career Ladder. Clinical Engineering Management. Nov/Dec 2009: Nelson et al. (2008). Career Ladder Program for Registered Nurses in Ambulatory Care. Perspectives in Ambulatory Care. 26(6): Trepanier et al. (2016). Optimizing Compensation and Professional Advancement: From Negotiating Salary, Signing Bonuses and Benefits to Developing and/or Enhancing a Career Ladder. Educational Breakout Session, AEC. Seattle, WA. Winslow et al. (2011). Staff Nurses Revitalize a Clinical Ladder Program Through Shared Governance. Journal for Nurses in Staff Development. 27(1):