Accountability Plan

Accountability Plan for the BSN Degree Condition of Employment

What is the accountability process?

Each ADN and Diploma nurse will establish a plan to achieve their BSN degree utilizing the Academic Progression Milestone Tool.  This is a tool to help communicate the nurse’s expectations with their manager and plan for success. Newly hired nurses should create initial plans by six months of hire, such as determining if and how many pre-requisites are required and a timeline for program applications and enrollment.

If a nurse does not meet the established milestones in order to successfully graduate with a BSN degree within the 5-year deadline, progressive counseling will be utilized to support accountability until the degree is obtained. The manager will follow HR Policy 701 Employee Standards of Performance and Conduct.

Why an accountability plan?

ADN and Diploma graduate nurses who were hired since 2013 agree, as a condition of their employment, to complete a BSN degree within 5 years of hire.  This accountability plan provides a process for clinicians, managers and directors to support the achievement of the required BSN degree and the retention of our valuable nursing colleagues.  Many of our UVA nurses have successfully achieved their BSN degree within this contract timeframe.  We want to celebrate them and support others to also meet this requirement.

Specific steps of the accountability plan are noted below. 

The accountability plan follows HR Policy 701 Employee Standards of Performance and Conduct with progressive counseling for those failing to meet academic progression milestones to complete a BSN degree within 5 years of hire.  Failure to meet the necessary milestones to achieve this condition of employment may result in termination of employment per the offer letter.

If a nurse becomes off-track of their milestones, and the BSN graduation date will no longer be achieved within the 5-year deadline:

• Progressive counseling begins
• Update and confirm revised Milestone Tool; sign and upload Tool to Workday
• Meet quarterly with manager to monitor progress
• Manager will notify NPGO for updated tracking in Workday
• If the RN misses another milestone and the graduation date is further delayed, the next step in progressive counseling occurs. This process continues as needed.

Who is providing oversight for this requirement?

Oversight for this condition of employment is nursing leadership, in collaboration with Employee Relations, Human Resources and the Chief Nursing Officer.  Individual scenarios will be reviewed as needed on a case-by-case basis, and make decisions in accordance with HR Policy 701 Employee Standards of Performance and Conduct and HR policy 600 Leaves of Absence. The Manager/ANM may make discretionary decisions regarding initiating the progressive counseling process based on approved leaves of absence or to other mitigating circumstances with a review and the approval process of nursing leadership.

Updated: April 2024