Nursing Professional Development Specialist

SCOPE OF POSITION:

Uses clinical knowledge and adult learning principles and techniques to provide educational services and events to clinical personnel that foster clinical competency hospital-wide. Collaborates with unit / department directors, assistant directors, and clinical instructors to identify learning needs and to plan, develop, deliver, and evaluate educational programs directed toward the achievement of excellence in clinical care and practice. Reports to Director of Nursing Education.

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Learning Facilitator
  • Uses educational design and adult learning principles to bridge gaps through learning needs assessment and evaluation of outcomes
• Change Agent
  • Actively works to transform processes at micro, meso, and macro system levels.
  • Uses change management strategy to drive desired outcomes
• Mentor
  • Advances the profession of nursing by contributing to the professional development of others and supporting ongoing professional learning
• Leader
  • Recognized as part of nursing leadership
  • Collaborates with other leaders to solve complex problems
  • Influences interprofessional practice and learning environments, the profession of nursing, and healthcare
• Champion for Inquiry
  • Promotes spirit of inquiry
  • Generates and disseminates new knowledge
  • Promotes and integrates evidence to guide clinical practice and improve quality of care
• Partner for Practice Transitions
  • Supports transition of nurses and other healthcare team members across practice
• Advocate for Specialty
  • Actively supports, promotes, and demonstrates nursing professional development as a nursing practice specialty

• Plans and develops educational activities, resource guides, and other tools using adult learning principles and various teaching methods (e.g., classroom instruction, computer-based learning, demonstrations, simulations, and case studies, handouts, newsletters) to facilitate and enhance the achievement of individual, departmental, and institutional competency and training goals related to clinical care and practice.

• Creates and maintains positive working relationships with stakeholder groups. Participates in opportunities to network with customer groups including school faculty and members of professional organizations.

• Maintains knowledge of Joint Commission standards and institutional / departmental standards, ensuring compliance with applicable standards. Responds to regulatory requirements by assisting in the creation of systems and processes to address performance deficiencies. Creates and delivers targeted educational events to correct deficiencies.

• Collaborates with stakeholders to establish and distribute training schedules to all customer groups.

• Uses and/or initiates research with the goal of enhancing performance and educational outcomes.

• Develops, administers, and interprets results from appropriate program evaluation tools to determine effectiveness of training programs and events. Revises course curriculum based on program evaluation results.

• Utilizes the HealthStream e-learning system to, author courses, create tests, assign classes as appropriate, enroll students, grant credit and/or grade classes, and run relevant completion reports for self and stakeholders.

• Provides support to decentralized Clinical Instructors.

• Maintains clinical and educational competence.

• Accountable for special projects as identified and assigned.

• Perform all other duties as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Current Registered Nurse license in Connecticut required
• Bachelor's Degree in Nursing Education, Adult Education or nursing clinical specialization required, Master's preferred (required within 3 years of hire date)
• Certification in specialty preferred (required for OB and OR)
• 3-5 years as staff nurse or nurse supervisor as well as classroom / clinical education experience
• Computer skills required (PowerPoint, Word, Excel, etc.)
• Demonstrated expertise in clinical area
• Demonstrated competency in adult learning principles and techniques
• Demonstrated competency in classroom and/or small group instruction and facilitation
• Possesses interpersonal and communication skills appropriate to the audience including the ability to identify and use position-specific language and terminology
• Ability to manage complex projects with multi-month timelines, competing deadlines, and within resources
• Ability to work as a member of an interdisciplinary team
• Ability to stand or sit for two or more hours at a time without breaks

• Must have basic computer skills and ability to access internet and other programs applicable to Waterbury Hospital procedures.

• Perform automated functions that fall within job responsibility.

THE ABOVE DESCRIPTION COVERS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DUTIES PERFORMED BUT DOES NOT EXCLUDE OTHER OCCASIONAL WORK ASSIGNMENTS NOT MENTIONED, THE INCLUSION OF WHICH WOULD BE IN CONFORMITY WITH THE FACTOR DEGREES ASSIGNED TO THIS JOB.