Nursing Professional Development Specialist - Mental Health

The Nursing Professional Development Specialist (NPDS) works under the direction of department leadership, and collaboratively with stakeholders and others in leadership to support clinical employee education within Patient Care Services and across the health system as indicated. The NPDS is responsible for assuring that practice changes and educational outcomes are measurable and are in alignment with the design and planning of programming. They serve as a learning facilitator, change agent, mentor, leader, champion for inquiry, advocate for NPD Specialty, and partner for practice transitions. The NPDS works with leadership and stakeholder representatives to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations and corporate/hospital policy. Reports to departmental leadership.

• Education: Develops educational activities to address practice gaps for identified target audiences, to include licensed and non-licensed healthcare personnel. These activities are developed to achieve specific outcomes related to identified deficits or opportunities for improvement in knowledge, skill, or practice.
• Planning: Determines appropriate interventions incorporating theories pertaining to learning, behavioral change, and motivation.
• Implementation : Demonstrates use of current evidence-based education guidelines (adult learning theory, brain-based learning, etc.) during implementation of educational programs. Uses the CHKD improvement framework in the implementation of system-wide programs and projects to continuously improve programs.
• Orientation/Onboarding : Develops, coordinates, facilitates, conducts, and evaluates orientation programs for nursing and other healthcare personnel to guide the new hire towards job competency.
• Competency Management : Supports ongoing assessment and evaluation of performance. Collaborates with unit leadership teams in prioritizing competency selection and selection of instructional strategies to meet learning objectives.

• Establish collaborative partnerships and promote environment that can sustain change: Assesses staff and stakeholder readiness to change. Communicates opportunity for change to staff. Promotes a culture in which staff understand the direct relationship between their role and the business of the organization. Motivates staff to take ownership of change. Collaborates with leadership and stakeholders to support change.
• Assessment of Practice Gaps : Prioritizes department, and health system needs aligning hospital initiatives and environmental scanning in the community, and at the state and national level to prioritize and address practice gaps.
• Identification of Learning Needs : Assesses knowledge, skill, and practice gaps within departments, differentiating between practice gaps, performance issues, and process/system issues.
• Outcomes Identification : Ensures realistic, achievable outcomes that are created in collaboration with key stakeholders and subject matter experts.

• Mentor/Leader : Serves as a role model and promotes a healthy work environment, professionalism, and just culture. Collaborates with interprofessional partners to share expertise in planning and decision making to achieve the desired results to deliver the highest quality of care.
• Advocate for the NPD Specialty . Promotes and integrates the science of the NPD specialty to continuously improve their practice.

• Support effective and efficient practice transitions. Identifies and develops strategies to facilitate lifelong learning. This allows for role transition, role integration, skill acquisition, and mastery as learners advance from novice to expert in their professions and specialties. Supports the development, maintenance, and expansion of transition to practice based on evidence and measurable outcomes.

• Evidence Based Practice/Quality Improvement : Champions inquiry through promotion of EBP and QI in patient care settings. In collaboration with leadership and the EVMS IRB affiliate, the NPDS may conduct, encourage, facilitate and/or participate in EBP and QI, including dissemination of findings.

• Registered Nursing License in the State of Virginia or Registered Nurse holding a valid Compact State license.
• Certification in Nursing Professional Development (NPD) required within 3 years of placement into position.
• Basic Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support required and/or must be obtained within 45 days of hire.

• Master of Science in Nursing required. May consider a BSN for internal nurse candidates with applicable experience and active enrollment in a master’s program who are within 1 year of completion from date of hire.
• 1-2 years of relevant pediatric/neonatal clinical experience required.

• Experience in a pediatric nursing professional development role or as nurse educator preferred.

• Knowledge of current and emerging trends in technology, including maintenance of databases and records, to support learning.
• Ability to coordinate and provide education and training to staff from different professional backgrounds.
• Ability to work independently and problem solve, as well as accept guidance and work within a team.
• Exceptional organizational and time management skills.
• Ability to build collegial and professional relationships from diverse backgrounds.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, to include public speaking.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and ability to utilize Excel and Adobe acrobat.
• Must obtain knowledge and understanding required to utilize learning management system within 3 months of hire.

Expected to work in a patient care environment with minimal exposure to environmental hazards such as, but not limited to, excessive noise, dust, or extremes in temperatures. Exposure to communicable diseases and moderately adverse working conditions due to the need to perform certain patient care activities can be expected.

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