With a national average RN turnover rate at 16.4%, U.S. hospitals and health organizations are shifting to digital methods to automate processes, improve transparency, elevate patient care, and boost retention
Kahuna Ladder Transforms Paper-Based Programs into Digital Powerhouses
Kahuna Workforce Solutions, a leading skills and competency management SaaS platform, today announced the launch of Kahuna Ladder, a cloud-based clinical ladder for healthcare that provides a modern alternative to paper-based ladders. For hospitals and healthcare organizations struggling with nurse burnout and retention, Kahuna Ladder for healthcare unifies clinical competency data with automated, transparent career advancement in one purpose-built platform, resulting in better retention, stronger engagement, and measurable ROI.
For Nursing Leaders
Leaders get an intuitive, paper-free dashboard to automate compliance and enable promotions, so everyone spends less time on paperwork and more time on patient care.
For Nurses
Kahuna Ladder helps nurses clearly map out their next steps, track achievements, and earn the recognition they deserve.
Drive Nurse Retention, Transparency, & Measurable ROI
Kahuna’s digital clinical ladder platform can improve retention, increase internal mobility, and reduce turnover costs which can average $3.9M–$5.7M annually1. Furthermore, with the national average RN turnover rate at 16.4%2 and average turnover cost for each RN over $60K3, small improvements in RN retention can save hundreds of thousands annually.
“We are very excited about the potential of Kahuna’s new digital clinical ladder in how it will further enhance transparency with staff and leaders on where they are with their competency completion, and their ability to move into or up the ladder,” said Kahuna Workforce pilot customer, Lisa Tieman, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CPN at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago who is using the new platform to further enrich clinical advancement programs.
Nurses and allied health professionals often struggle with burnout, stress, heavy workloads, and limited opportunities for career growth. With an anticipated national shortage of 207,980 full-time equivalent (FTE) registered nurses by 2037,4 healthcare organizations must rethink their legacy approaches to attract and retain top talent, streamline professional development, and maintain high-quality patient care.
Stop Turnover Disruptions and Elevate Patient Care
“The healthcare workforce is key to quality patient care. Turnover disrupts continuity of care, increases costs, and can compromise patient safety. Kahuna Ladder for healthcare is purposely built to break these barriers,” said Jai Shah, chief executive officer at Kahuna Workforce Solutions. “With thousands of hospitals and healthcare organizations struggling with ongoing talent shortages, digital technology like Kahuna’s new healthcare ladder is fundamentally changing how they operate their clinical advancement programs to be more effective in boosting retention.”
Purpose-Built for Clinical Complexity
Unlike manual, paper-based tools or legacy HR systems not designed for clinical complexity, Kahuna Ladder for healthcare is purpose-built. The clinical Ladder platform integrates with a wide range of existing business systems, including HRIS, LMS, and more, to deliver transparent, equitable criteria for professional growth. By automating workflows and providing actionable insights grounded in proven competency data, it ensures that advancement opportunities are fair, clear, and easy, ultimately enhancing retention and job satisfaction across the organization.
- Managers spend less time on administrative tasks and focus on educating, cross-training, and mobilizing the right resources to care for patients.
- Executives evaluate workforce capabilities, plan for future demands, and gain visibility into competency-based staffing with meaningful reporting.
- Employees gain transparency into their role expectations and requirements, empowering their professional development.
Key Benefits of Kahuna's Clinical Ladder for Healthcare
Enhance Retention and Reduce Burnout
A structured, accessible pathway with clear growth opportunities reduces turnover and burnout. New skills and a sense of purpose and direction increase satisfaction and engagement, encouraging talented staff to remain with the organization in anticipation of pay-based incentives and upward mobility.
Gain Effortless Transparency in Professional Development
A transparent, accessible approach outlining expectations and requirements for career advancement encourages participation. Well-structured growth opportunities help support existing staff and attract new talent more effectively, especially during labor shortages.
Raise the Bar on Patient Care
Fresh knowledge, competencies and experiences often result in better patient care and improved outcomes. An emphasis on continuous professional development means nurses are equipped with the latest techniques to handle complex patient needs and quickly elevates care across the organization.
Build Trust Between Clinicians and Leadership
Kahuna’s clinical ladder for healthcare lays a foundation for open communication, support, and recognition that promotes trust. As hard work is rewarded through promotions, pay increases, or added responsibilities, clinicians’ sense of belonging and purpose increases.
Establish and Maintain Designations
Digital tracking of designations and accreditation requirements, such as Magnet® and Pathway to Excellence® programs, helps efficiently achieve and maintain excellence designations. Kahuna’s clinical ladder automates the tracking of each required element, while convenient dashboards and reporting capabilities are additional time-saving advantages.
Seamless Integrations for Holistic Workforce Insights
Kahuna’s skills and competency management SaaS platform and Kahuna Ladder equip energy, manufacturing and healthcare organizations such as Memorial Hermann with actionable skill insights for effective assessment, training and development, and staffing and deployment initiatives. Kahuna’s platform integrates directly with leading business applications, providing leaders with a more holistic and actionable understanding of workforce skills and capabilities.
Most recently, Kahuna Workforce Solutions announced its Workday Certified Integration status, signifying Kahuna’s integration has met Workday’s rigorous standards for security, reliability, and interoperability. Workday customers who adopt Kahuna can streamline operational processes, improve compliance and optimize workforce planning with real-time, validated skills and competency insights.
Learn more about how Kahuna Ladder for healthcare can help your organization create a more competitive and skilled workforce by digitizing your clinical ladders.
More Resources
- Kahuna Ladder: Elevating Your Clinical Workforce
- 7 Problems a Digital Clinical Ladder Solves for Your Healthcare Organization
- Climbing the Clinical Ladder in Nursing With A Digital Solution
- The Evolution of Career Development Ladders in the Technical Workforce
- Career Ladders for the Frontline: Building Trust Through Skills-Based Progression
