Job Description Summary
The Clinical Professional Development Specialist (CPDS) is responsible for leading, facilitating, and/or participating in inter-professional quality initiatives. Responsibilities include planning, coordinating, executing, and managing the educational programs for the nursing division, implementing evidence-based nursing practices, and other educational plans and activities. Serves as an expert clinician and the primary educational resource for nursing staff. This role has seven primary responsibilities including education, onboarding/orientation, competency management, research inquiry/evidence-based practice (EBP), role development, mentorship, and leadership and prioritizes work based upon SSHS organizational mission vision, and values.
Job Description
Skills, Knowledge & Abilities:
- A strong understanding of adult learning principles and practices.
- Excellent coaching and mentoring skills.
- A desire for lifetime learning and application of evidence-based practice.
- Analytical abilities to determine nursing professional development needs.
- Ability to track trends for future learning needs and opportunities.
- Expertise in measuring results or data and assessing learning outcomes.
- Flexibility to adapt or change learning strategies based on outcomes.
- Broad knowledge of education providers and opportunities.
- Excellent communication skills. Strong public speaking skills.
- Strong management skills, including the ability to adapt when balancing different priorities among various stakeholders.
- Ability to follow the educational planning process recommended by American Nursing Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the Board of Registration in Nursing (BORN).
- Supports educational initiatives at the division and system level.
Responsible to lead or co-lead comprehensive programming for all new and existing colleagues within the Nursing Division (e.g., orientation, skills days, general assistance).
Primary Responsibilities:
Education: Responsible for ongoing needs assessment to identify gaps in knowledge, skills, and abilities, including competencies, strengths, and opportunities to improve critical thinking, interpersonal, and technical skills. Develops and delivers/coordinates education programs including nursing orientation, continuing education, new nurse transition to practice programs, specialty transition to practice programs, internal career development programs, primary and secondary clinical research, and other programs/opportunities to support competence and professional growth of the nursing staff and those interested in nursing.
Onboarding/Orientation: Collaborates with Department/Clinical Manager to develop individualized orientation programs for all new staff members within the department. Creates competency-based orientation checklists for all nursing-related roles (e.g., MA, NA, RN) in the division. Assists those new to and experienced nursing colleagues during their transition into the organization by providing orientation, guidance, and support. Collaborates with and mentors unit-based preceptors to provide comprehensive orientation experiences for all new staff members.
Competency Management: Develops and manages a competency framework that identifies knowledge, skills, and abilities essential in the daily clinical practice for the nursing staff and ensures that it is structured to allow nurses to progress and maintain effective practice standards, ensuring safe, high-quality patient care. Continues to review and update the framework when needed to meet changing healthcare requirements.
Clinical Inquiry and Evidence-based Practice: Advises, collaborates, translates, integrates, and evaluates research and evidence within the organization through practice, education, and reflective discussion with staff. Integrates relevant research outcomes into nursing professional development practice through effective learning activities, and brings the Evidence-based Practice to the point of care. Serves as a mentor to staff. Collaborates with Nurse Scientist. Drives internal and external dissemination of evidence-based practice clinical outcomes to professional organizations.
Collaborative Partnerships: Works closely with nursing and inter-professional leaders and key stakeholders to achieve strategic goals and initiatives. Promotes and cultivates positive relationships with academic programs. Engages as an educator in the area of clinical specialty on a local, state, and/or national level to review trends in clinical education, practice, and regulation impacting the nursing staff. Considers system impact to divisional changes.
Mentorship: Serves as a mentor to all nursing staff and those interested in the nursing profession, guiding them through the various pathways of their career. Provides assistance with a nurse’s professional development plan. Acts as a role model.
Leadership: As a key member of the nursing leadership team, plays an instrumental role in supporting the implementation of decisions that affect nursing practice in the clinical area. Leads the planning and execution of educational programming for new or changing programs of care. Acts as a subject matter expert in the development of clinical policies and procedures as requested. Identifies and participates in quality performance improvement activities. Mentors colleagues, nurses, students, and others as appropriate. Demonstrates leadership in the nursing/clinical area through involvement in professional organizations. Participates in strategic planning, ad hoc projects, and educational activities as assigned for the department (may include inter-professional initiatives). Communicates effectively with colleagues across SSHS to advance goal achievement and promote lifelong learning. Demonstrates responsibility for reporting to licensing, certification, accreditation, and other regulatory bodies for educational program compliance. Accepts Committee and workgroup appointments and actively participates to affect change in patient care and the South Shore Health (SSH) system. Consistently prioritizes tasks effectively and ensures deadlines are met.
JOB REQUIREMENTS
Minimum Education: BSN in Nursing; Master’s degree strongly preferred.
*Educators with a Master’s degree are referred to as Clinical Professional Development Specialists. Educators with a BSN are referred to as Clinical Nurse Educators.
Minimum Work Experience: A minimum of three (3) years of progressively responsible nursing experience relative to the designated clinical services area preferred.
Required Licenses / Registrations: RN - Registered Nurse.
Required Certifications:
- BLS- Basic Life Support
- ACLS– Advanced Cardiac Life Support
- NRP-Neonatal Resuscitation Program
- PALS- Pediatric Advanced Life Support
- TNCC- Trauma Nurse Core Course
Instructor level certification required for certain divisions and may include (but not limited to):
- AHA BLS instructor
- AHA ACLS instructor
Required additional Knowledge, and Abilities:
Achieving Professional Certification is an expectation once eligibility criteria are met.
Belonging to a professional organization is strongly encouraged.
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