Professional Development Specialist RN

Shifts: Mon-Fri, 7a-3p or 8a-4p

At Nuvance Health, we enjoy the benefits of a two-state system as we cultivate an inclusive culture where everyone feels welcomed, respected and supported. Together, we are a team of 15,000+ strong hearts and open minds. If you share our values of connected, personal, agile and imaginative, we invite you to discover what’s possible for you and your career.

Norwalk Hospital is a 366-bed academic and community medical center serving Fairfield County, Connecticut, and the surrounding New York Metro area. We are a Level II Trauma Center and Joint Replacement Center of Excellence, and we provide advanced cancer, heart, and neuroscience care.

Our accolades include the following:

• The Leapfrog Group - Grade A for quality and patient safety
• Healthgrades - America’s 50 Best Hospitals
• U.S. News & World Report - high performance in heart failure treatment

At Norwalk Hospital, we prioritize the health and well-being of our team, fostering a friendly and supportive culture where collaboration and compassion are at the heart of what we do. From the moment you step through our doors, you’ll experience a sense of community that makes our hospital a truly special place to work. Our employees feel a deep connection here because we’re not just part of the community – we are its center.

Summary:

Perioperative Educator demonstrates expertise in five domains: clinical knowledge, consultation, education of staff and patients, support of management, and conduct of research. The role supports the organization's goals of quality service by developing programs consistent with current trends in patient treatment. Patient/staff satisfaction through role-modeling and by communicating goals to staff. Conducts rounds and utilizes appropriate resources to ensure cost effectiveness of programs.

Responsibilities:

1- Educational Programming Criteria A: Works collaboratively with the Management Team to assess the educational needs of staff. Demonstrates competency to utilize a variety of methods to collect data and analyze educational needs of staff as appropriate. - Educational Programming Criteria B: Demonstrates competency to plan, implement and evaluate educational programs, competency assessments and learning activities based upon ongoing educational need for all staff. - Educational Programming Criteria C: Participates in general Norwalk Hospital and nursing unit orientation/training programs/regulatory agency requirements - Educational Programming Criteria D: Provides training and continuing education programs annually, including 2 CEU programs/year 

2. Clinical Education Criteria A: Develops, schedules, teaches and implements unit based programs based on collaboration with staff identifying priorities and establishing realistic outcomes for patient care interventions. Clinical Education Criteria B: Coordinates educational experiences for staff related to area of expertise and program objectives. Clinical Education Criteria C: Provides clinical education to facilitate learning experiences related to nursing personnel job descriptions and individual educational needs; fosters clinical excellence thru promotion of certification in area of specialization to include AMBI, PACU, OR, Orderlies and SPD Clinical Education Criteria D: Works closely with the preceptor/buddy and orientee to establish and achieve learning goals and objectives on a weekly basis; assesses readiness of orientee to come off orientation

3. Coaches Criteria A: Provides educational resources, including current literature, practice and trends; updates unit library. Coaches Criteria B: Mentors, coaches/counsels staff to ensure effective learning experiences and serves as a liaison between staff and management to foster quality care/customer satisfaction. Coaches Criteria C: Collaborates with other professionals to develop, revise and evaluate Nursing Unit Standards, Policies and Procedures and practices. Coaches Criteria D: When involved in a clinical situation that requires decision making and prioritization of needs, independently and appropriately directs other staff members in care of the patient to meet the needs of the patient and the clinical area.

4. Leadership Criteria A: Demonstrates professional leadership. Serves as role model to enhance staff nurses in development of clinical expertise, critical thinking, communication skills and professional behavior. Leadership Criteria B: Promotes changes in practices/delivery of care in a positive manner. Acts as a change agent to make improvements in staff knowledge and utilization of the Nursing Unit's practices. Leadership Criteria C: Advises and refers employees to appropriate resources for ongoing professional growth and contributes to the evaluations of Nursing Unit personnel. Leadership Criteria D: Models C.A.R.E. Team (Courtesy, Attentiveness, Responsiveness, Empathy) behaviors

5. Clinical Resource / Support Criteria A: Is a resource and supports staff with clinical problems that may arise and assures standards and protocols are followed. Clinical Resource / Support Criteria B: Facilitates interdisciplinary patient care to provide quality outcomes. Clinical Resource / Support Criteria C: Responds to the needs of the unit in a timely manner. Clinical Resource / Support Criteria D: Support the unit during emergent situations by either circulating / scrubbing, as necessary

6. Team Building / Staff Development Criteria A: Participates in the development of team members during clinical calls and consistently teaches staff members during the event, by among other means during their work. Tracks and trends staff educational needs and communicate with the Education, Standards and Research Department. Team Building / Staff Development Criteria B: Coordinates and facilitates interdisciplinary patient care to provide quality outcomes. Team Building / Staff Development Criteria C: Facilitates critical thinking of staff members in caring for patients. Identifies opportunities for teaching and encourages staff to include all pertinent information related to patient care when decisions are made. Team Building / Staff Development Criteria D: Coordinates and facilitates educational programs for the PA students and nursing students on how to properly scrub, gown, glove and movement around a sterile field

7. Professional and Personal Responsibilities Criteria A: Pursues professional education to meet needs of current position and professional goals. Professional and Personal Responsibilities Criteria B: Participates in professional organizations, maintains and updates educational record and attends annual required reviews, and serves as a member on one or two hospital wide committees and/or performance improvement committees. Professional and Personal Responsibilities Criteria C: Hold others accountable for actions and outcomes Professional and Personal Responsibilities Criteria D: Participates in the interviewing process for new staff and makes recommendation for hiring. Provides input for staffs' annual review. Assists with completion of unit based competencies in collaboration with the manager and educator.

8. Clinical Responsibilities Criteria A: Supports/assists the Pre-Admission Testing APRN with pre-surgical clearances, H&Ps, etc. and chart prep Clinical Responsibilities Criteria B: Supports/assists Physicians Assistants with patient discharges Clinical Responsibilities Criteria C: Acts as surgical first assistant as needed Clinical Responsibilities Criteria D: Performs other clinical duties as required

9. Performs other duties as assigned.

10. Fulfills all compliance responsibilities related to the position.

Education Skills Experience:

MASTER'S LVL DGRE

Other Information:

Required: Masters Degree, APRN, CNOR and RNFA within 2 years of hire.

Minimum Experience: zero to six months

Desired: Registered Nurse, MSN. Relevant teaching experience desired. High level competency in selected psychomotor skills, critical thinking skills.

Credentials: RN, BLS, CNOR, APRN,RNFA

Company: Norwalk Hospital Association

Org Unit: 381

Department: Nursing Education

Exempt: Yes