Clinical Nurse Leader, SIMCU-24875

Clinical Nurse Leader

The Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) functions as an advanced generalist providing and managing care for patients, individuals, families, and communities in the microsystem. The CNL is a point of care expert clinician, outcomes manager, client advocate, educator, information manager, system analyst/risk anticipator, team lead, professional, and lifelong learner. The CNL collaborates with nursing leadership and the healthcare team, and serves as guardian of care, coordinator for the improvement of patient care outcomes, and resource in the management of clinically complex patients. The CNL provides insight regarding the microsystem for collaboration with the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) on macrosystem processes and outcomes. The CNL and CNS roles intersect at the point of patient care delivery with the shared goal of facilitating safe, quality, cost-effective care. Exemplifies the Rush mission, vision, and values and acts in accordance with Rush policies and procedures.

Required Job Qualifications:

• Current State of Illinois Professional Registered Nurse licensure
• Graduate degree in nursing
• National certification as Clinical Nurse Leader required upon hire unless candidate is currently enrolled in Rush University's GEM Nursing Program.
• Two years relevant nursing experience
• BLS; other emergency cardiovascular care certifications as pertinent to practice area.
• Current evidence-based clinical practice and expertise.
• Demonstrated track record of success in participating in/leading microsystem quality initiatives.
• Demonstrated professional and effective communication skills (verbal, nonverbal, written), time management, and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated critical thinking skills and ability to make sound judgments and to monitor and respond to patient needs or changes in condition and positively influence the patient/customer
• Basic computer skills, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate and utilize an electronic medical record.
• Demonstrates population-specific clinical knowledge utilizing current literature and research, updating knowledge with any new evidence relative to role in direct patient care and in other elements of Clinical Nurse Leader role.
• Synthesizes quantitative and qualitative evidence for critical thinking and decision making to achieve optimal patient outcomes.

Job Responsibilities: Evidence-Based Practice

• Coordinates comprehensive evidence-based education to patients and family, addressing social and psychosocial barriers, social justice, and health equity in the patient care continuum.
• Evaluates evidence for practice, implements evidence-based practices, and uses quality improvement strategies to affect improved outcomes in the microsystem.
• Collaborates in the development, implementation, and evaluation of care and best practices pertinent to patients within the microsystem.
• Collaborates in provision of education and competency validation, and coaches and mentors new and established staff through department-based initiatives and learning opportunities, and real-time review.

Relationships and Caring

• Serves as an advocate and resource for the care and coordination of patients across a microsystem.
• Collaborates to address complex patient/family goals and interventions to improve patient outcomes.
• Reviews and critiques patient care plans, and works with the interdisciplinary team to customize interventions to attain individual patient and family goals, and reduce the risk of complications.
• Identifies variances related to length of stay, readmissions, and the discharge/care transition planning process across the continuum of patient care, and develops individualized plans to resolve barriers.

Critical Thinking

• Identifies factors related to safety for patients, visitors and staff, and develops and implements plans to ensure safety across the continuum of care.
• Coaches staff and students in the development and application of critical thinking in order to manage complex patients, identify changing patient conditions, and in the delivery of patient care.

Technical Expertise

• Partners to design and implement processes, and fosters utilization of new technology and products for improving patient care and outcomes.
• Reviews specific patient cases to determine compliance with standards for nursing practice and reports findings to leadership, advisory committees, and appropriate standing committees.
• Collaborates to create and implement educational programs at the microsystem level to foster clinical expertise and growth of staff.

Leadership

• Maintains open communication with leadership in order to identify trends and address concerns impacting delivery of quality care.
• Collaborates in initiatives relative to maintenance of Joint Commission accreditation, ANCC Magnet designation, and other specialty designations and accreditations within the organization.
• Partners to support academic programs to foster meaningful educational experiences.
• Implements and engages in care coordination of specific activities, conferences, strategies, and interventions to move the patient through the continuum of care as part of the interdisciplinary health care team.
• Serves as a role model, formally recognizes others, and encourages peer advancement.

Rush is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics.