Nurse Educator- Surgical Services
Wellstar Health Systems

Facility: Kennestone Hospital

• The Clinical Nurse Professional Development Educator (NPD) works collaboratively to assess, identify, plan, implement, coordinate, facilitate, and evaluate educational activities through a systems model.
• This includes the tools, theories, skills, and knowledge of the specialty to improve healthcare practice of learners based on the Association of Nurse Professional Development (ANPD) Practice Model.
• Using expertise in education and professional development practices, the Clinical NPD collaborates with staff, leadership, faculty and researchers to implement and evaluate professional development programs that influence professional role competence, continuous learning and growth, promotes synergistic practices and patient outcomes throughout the organization, and advances the NPD practice based on Wellstar's Nursing Professional Practice Model and in accordance with Association Nursing Professional Development Scope and Standards of Professional Nursing Practice.
• Roles include learning facilitator, change agent, mentor, leader, champion for scientific inquiry, advocate for Nurse Professional Development specialty and partner for practice transitions.
• The Clinical Nursing Professional Development Educator supports the Clinical Nursing Professional Development Educator Specialist, clinical manager, and interprofessional team to implement, document, and modify evidence-based, quality, and educational programs and activities that promote professional competency and role performance for nursing and non-licensed staff.
• The NPD Practitioner also supports patient care by being a proactive member of an interdisciplinary team of licensed and unlicensed care givers who ensure that patients, families and significant others receive individualized high quality, safe patient care. They practice in a clinical environment in a functional role.
• It is expected that all NPD Clinical Nurses are licensed, knowledgeable and uphold the practice of nursing as outlined by the Georgia Professional Nurse Practice Act and implements the Scope of Practice and Code of Ethics Standards put forth by the American Nurses Association.
• As a member of the patient services team, it is expected that the individual upholds the voice of the patient, system policies and procedures while supporting service excellence goals.

Core Responsibilities and Essential Functions:

Exemplary Practice

• Assessment Practice Gaps: Conducts learning needs of the target audience
• Validates identified needs with learner, content experts and nurse leaders when appropriate
• Prioritizes anticipated needs in alignment with system strategic goals
• Uses data to identify future trends and issues
• Identification of Learning Needs: Assesses and identifies practice gaps related to the educational needs of the learner and other pertinent situations
• Determines needs from current issues and trends (falls, infections, new equipment, regulatory changes, etc.)
• Prioritizes data collection based on the immediate or anticipated needs and documents evidence of professional practice gaps in a retrievable manner that facilitates educational planning.
• Outcomes: Identified outcomes for learning activities and programs
• Involves learners/stake holder in formulation of desired outcomes
• Uses outcomes to demonstrate learning activities and programs are meeting their intended purpose and quality. Revise based on changes in trends, evidence, or stakeholder expectations.
• Planning: Establishes a plan that prescribes strategies, alternatives, and resources to achieve expected outcomes.
• Educational objectives developed to meet needs of learner
• Reflects adult learning and instructional design principles in planning and resource available
• Incorporates diverse learners in planning education to meet gender, race, culture, generational differences within target audience
• Collaborates with other disciplines enhance comprehensiveness of the plan; and documents planning process.
• Implementation: Implements the educational plan
• Coordination: Coordinates the education
• Facilitation of positive learning
• Evaluates progress toward attainment of outcomes
• Selects valid and reliable relevant methods and instruments to measure processes and outcomes; involves learner and stakeholder and implements evaluation plan to measure processes and outcomes relevant to program; evaluates data to guide future decision making for changes and improvement; disseminates results of the evaluation of learning activities and educational program; revise based on evaluation data.

Teamwork and Shared Leadership

• Collaborates with support departments including but not limited organizational learning, safety and quality, IT, BI, and other departments/roles to provide contributions and advancements in decisions regarding education.
• Serves as clinical resource to nursing staff, leadership, and medical staff for interdisciplinary practice.
• Demonstrates teamwork and collaboration by practicing in a manner that is fiscally responsible and promotes the recruitment and retention of all healthcare team members.
• Consults with preceptors/orientees to facilitate completion of orientation.
• Partners with others to effect change and generate positive outcomes
• Engage colleagues in the planning and implementation of lifelong learning activities for individuals and groups of learners
• Facilitates and supports performance improvement inclusive of all stakeholders, to promote safe, quality patient care including participating in such activities as well as, promoting an inter/intradisciplinary processes and actively supports/participates in shared governance at all levels in the system. Professional Development
• Ensures patient/family/staff confidentiality and corporate compliance for self (and accountability for team members) requirements including completing all required mandatory education and proficiencies.
• Serves as a preceptor (or mentor) for other professional nurses (and staff or students for all disciplines) to ensure that there is a current and future qualified workforce, modeling the professional practice of nursing and creating a healthy work environment
• Participates in educational activities related to knowledge and skills appropriate to the specialty area, practice setting, nursing education role and learner diversity.
• Applies current standards, guidelines, policies, and regulations into education that is offered.
• Seeks experiences to develop, maintain and improve competence in nursing professional development.
• Seeks professional certification in NPD. Creative Innovations
• Promotes evidence-based practice, research and performance improvement in nursing.
• Participates in activities such as value analysis as part of the decision-making process in evaluating patient care products.
• Participates in QI initiatives; disseminates research findings through educational programs/courses; and applies principles of implementation science to maintain and sustain practice changes.
• Upholds all health care system/organizational policies and procedures and clinical competencies put forth by this job description and professional association including legal, regulatory and accreditation requirements and standards ensuring by way of example, such goals as TJC Patient Safety Goals and Wellstar Health Systems safety absolutes
• Integrates ethics in all areas of practice.
• Develops innovative solutions and strategies to secure appropriate resources and technology for professional development initiatives.
• Introduces and supports new ideas and embraces meaningful change; specialist: continuously scans the environment for trends and issues that require change and fosters acceptance, adoption, and action toward change Clinical Resources and Support
• Performs the Nursing Process (assessment; diagnosis; identification of outcomes; planning; implementation and evaluation) in the performance of clinical care using evidence base practice, uses analytical/critical thinking and ensuring that care is individualized; coordinating care through effective partnerships recognizing that caring is central to achieve optimal patient care outcomes.
• Practices using current clinical practice standards
• Coordinates the delivery and documentation of safe quality patient care that promotes the professional care delivery model. This includes, but is not limited to diverse and inclusive interdisciplinary communication methods (interdisciplinary rounds, case review, etc.); completion of timely documentation and promotion of a respectful, inclusive clinical environment
• Completes all initial and ongoing professional competency assessment, required mandatory education, population specific education

Required Minimum Education:

• Graduate of an accredited/approved school of nursing
• Bachelor's Degree in Nursing

Required Minimum License(s) and Certification(s):

All certifications are required upon hire unless otherwise stated.

• Reg Nurse (Single State) or RN - Multi-state Compact
• Basic Life Support or BLS - Instructor

Additional License(s) and Certification(s):

• Some specialties may require ACLS, NRP or PALS per unit requirement. If required, must receive ACLS, NPR or PALS within 6 months of employment in position. within 180 Days Preferred

Required Minimum Experience:

• Minimum 3 years of nursing practice experience
• Experience with direct patient care
• This role may be required to support more than one facility or specialty

Required Minimum Skills:

• Ability to read, write, and speak English language, optimize the use of technology to support learning and holds advanced computer skills; demonstrates emotional intelligence
• Strong interpersonal, collaborative skills along with customer service skills required
• Ability to function in a fast paced environment and respond to emergencies in using a decisive, composed and respectful manner; possess excellent time management skills
• Possess a strong understanding of adult learning theories and can utilize multi-methods to implement training/development.
• Uses tools, theories, skills, and knowledge of the specialty to improve the healthcare practice of learners.
• Critical thinking skills and education innovation are maturing.
• Maintains educational or clinical competencies appropriate for role.
• Promotes concept of lifelong learning.
• Uses appropriate measurement tools and methods in quality improvement and evidence-based practice.
• Involves learners in assessment of needs and identification of outcomes.
• Ensures educational programs are congruous with organizational mission and goals.
• Produces desired outcomes relevant to organization.
• Selects appropriate teaching strategies to facilitate behavioral change.
• Evaluates effectiveness and outcomes of educational endeavors.
• Promotes career development and role transition.
• Develop, coordinate, manage, facilitate, conduct, and evaluate onboarding, orientation, and competency programs for nursing and other healthcare personnel.

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