NORWAY – Registered nurses Diana Duemler and Leah Frechette both recently achieved the status of Clinical Nurse III in the Nursing Advancement Program at Stephens Memorial Hospital.

The program was established to enhance professional growth and development, reward achievement and hard work, and to contribute to the recruitment and retention of qualified nurses.

Level III clinical nurses are considered proficient in their profession and assume leadership responsibilities in their departments and units.

These nurses demonstrate excellent clinical practice by recognizing significant aspects of situations and quickly identifying problems and solutions.

They are a resource to their peers and also demonstrate competence in more than one nursing department.

Duemler works in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit at Stephens and has worked in nursing at the hospital for 12 years, but has been a nurse for 25 years. Frechette is a nurse in Surgical Services and has been a nurse and worked at Stephens for almost 20 years.

Stephens Memorial Hospital is part of Western Maine Health, a member of the MaineHealth Family.