Clinical Career Advancement

What are DaVita's Clinical Ladders?
Frontline clinical teammates are the heart of DaVita, providing lifesaving care to patients every day. Creating pathways to rewarding, family-sustaining careers for these professionals is a key pillar of our economic mobility strategy. In 2021, we introduced Clinical Ladders, a career-mapping model that puts frontline teammates in the driver's seat of their careers. Our Clinical Ladders framework provides clarity on what it takes for teammates to progress in their role and links career progression to compensation in a way that is consistent with our pay-for-performance philosophy. In 2022, all Patient Care Technicians (PCTs), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), Registered Nurses (RNs) and Care Coordinators (CCs) adopted Clinical Ladders. We're on track to deliver this same level of role clarity, structured career progression and associated compensation growth for all teammates in 2023.
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38,000+
teammates are a part of DaVita's new career pathways program, Clinical Ladders
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9,000+
teammates were promoted internally in 2022 as a result of Clinical Ladders

What are the Clinical Ladders Levels?
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Resident

In training, focused on learning. RNs would be working toward license.

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Intermediate

Completed training. Building skills and positive relationships with patients.

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Experienced

Works independently–PCTs work under nurse supervision.
Certified PCT | Charge RN
 
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Advanced

Extends their dialysis knowledge to others.
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Expert

Deep knowledge in care for dialysis patients. Leads facility initiatives.

How does Clinical Ladders Work?
Through the adoption of Clinical Ladders, leaders can evaluate teammate performance every quarter, but at minimum every four quarters from your last pay increase. Together, this promotion and merit eligibility process becomes dynamic merit!
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More flexibility to promote and reward our teammates
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A fair approach for reviewing compensation
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The ability to review pay and promotional readiness for clinical ladder teammates every quarter
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Assurance that every teammate has a performance discussion at least every four quarters from their last pay increase

Fostering Economic Mobility
We know that representation metrics are just one dimension of a true commitment to Diversity & Belonging. Our work dives deep to address the drivers of inequality among traditionally underrepresented groups, with a specific focus on economic mobility. 

By creating meaningful opportunities for economic advancement, we're helping to break down historical barriers and drive enduring change.  

56%

of our manager-level facility administrators were promoted internally as of 2022.​​​​​​​
Of these, 
76% are women 
33% are people of color

What our Teammates are Saying
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DaVita takes the time to prepare you for how to be successful, and gives you a never-ending supply of resources for how to get there. Walter DaVita Clinical Coordinator
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I absolutely enjoyed my journey. I started as a graduate nurse at a hospital, and the journey has been amazing. My preceptor was awesome. She helped me to learn different modalities, almost everything that she knew and I grew from there. I went from floor nurse to in center hemodialysis nurse, CRT, apheresis, clinical coordinator, and now hospital services administrator.

 Shalonda DaVita Hospital Services Administrator
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Clinical Ladders gave me the tools to grow with DaVita, and helped motivate me to want to continue on my path. I applied to the Bridge to Your Dreams program and was accepted, which was really awesome. Hopefully within the next couple of years, I'll complete that program and be an RN!
 Juan DaVita Patient Care Technician

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