The Nursing Practice Specialist focuses on the lifelong learning needs of the professional nurse including orientation, continuing education, and ongoing competency development.

The Nursing Practice Specialist works in collaboration with members of ProMedica Leadership to facilitate and provide education and professional development activities with special emphasis on patient care and nursing professional development.

Educational delivery may be focused on the department, division, hospital, or system level. He/she serves as a consultant, researcher, evidence-based practice mentor, performance improvement leader and project manager in his or her area(s) of expertise and supports the development of competence in clinicians through educational activities, including direct teaching and/or in collaboration with unit/department, division, hospital, or system level-based educators.

The Nursing Practice Specialist represents education in research, practice, and service activities, including special projects and performance improvement activities with particular focus on the learning of staff and patients/families. Work is performed in accordance with ProMedica’s Nursing Professional Practice Model, Mission, Values, and Safety behaviors while focusing on patient and family centered care and aligning with accepted nursing standards, established hospital policies and procedures and applicable regulations.

POSITION SUMMARY

To guide the entity of ProMedica nursing in the growth and development of nursing practice through utilization of evidence-based practice concepts and process, the ProMedica Nursing Professional Practice Model, orientation, and education. Assists the Chief Nursing Officers in the following:

• Development of organizational-wide patient care programs, policies and procedures that describe how patients’ nursing care needs or patient populations receiving nursing care are assessed, evaluated, and met.

• Development of education and programs to assist with the implementation of the organization’s plans for providing nursing care to those patients requiring nursing care.

• Implementation of an effective ongoing program to measure, assess and improve the quality of nursing care delivered to patients.

• Support system-wide shared governance programs.

ACCOUNTABILITIES

*All duties listed below are essential unless noted otherwise*

1. Ensure compliance with Joint Commission standards, Ohio Board of Nursing Practice Act and local, State, Federal and other regulatory regulations and standards pertaining to the areas of responsibility.

2. Assists with revision of nursing practice guidelines, policies and procedures that align with ProMedica’s professional practice model and evidence-based practices.

3. Works to guide standardization of nursing practice across ProMedica.

4. Serves as a role model by exhibiting positive customer service behavior. Reinforces good customer behaviors among employees and students.

5. Independently plans, designs, and implements education across the system in coordination with the CNOs. Coordinates and manages complex educational offerings based on organizational goals and objectives.

6. Coordinates with Safety Department, Quality Department and CNOs to design educational plans that focus on quality improvement, operational efficiency, cost containment and community support. Utilizes the Plan, Do, Check, Act model and business plan model to determine impact of educational offerings and the Return on Investment of educational offerings.

7. Serves as an Evidence Based Practice mentor and implementation expert. Gathers evidence pertaining to educational needs and activities from committees and utilizes this evidence in the development of all professional activities. Assists departments across the organization to implement and sustain EBP.

8. Manages and coordinates, in conjunction with the onboarding business unit, the onboarding of newly hired staff including nursing residents and other employees.

9. Assures the continued development of clinical staff competence to provide excellent patient care through leading system processes with clinical administration, leadership, councils/committees/teams, and clinicians in the development of an annual education plan based on the assessment of and prioritization of the learning needs of clinicians and staff.

10. Utilizes, creates, and implements creative and innovative educational strategies in a variety of methods to facilitate achievement of program objectives and optimize retention of information. Ensures education has demonstration of financial and clinical impact to the patient care structures within the business units of the system.

11. Ability to lead a team and/or participate as a functional team member. Creates a team climate of objectivity, cooperation, recognition, contribution, and trust. Makes and keeps commitments. Listens carefully and communicates clearly.

12. Models the values of collaboration, innovation, teamwork, excellence, and learning. Builds honest, trusting, and respectful relationships. Shows consistency in words and actions. Does not undermine or respond negatively to others.

13. Works with other educators to promote the professional growth and development of employees, students, and fellow professional development personnel.

14. Fosters the alignment of education services and projects in accordance with the organization mission and strategic plan.

15. Teaches, consults and role models the staff education process and adherence to standards, evidence-based practice models and error prevention techniques.

16. Demonstrates ability to effectively plan, prioritize, and manage multiple activities. Effective steward of organizational resources.

17. Promotes health care careers and takes action to enhance the image of health care and ProMedica Health system in the community, including volunteer work and service with community groups.

18. Promotes the professional development of system education individuals and teams through orientation of new educators and mentoring and role modeling.

19. Maintains professional competence and pursues advances as a clinician and an educator within community and/or professional associations.

20. Submits abstracts for presentation at local and national conferences and conventions; Submits articles for publication in professional journals.

21. Performs other duties as assigned.