Nursing Practice Leader - Nursing Quality & Safety Program
The University of Iowa Health Care Department of Nursing Informatics is seeking a 90% Nursing Practice Leader to assist with various nursing initiatives and processes within the Nursing Quality & Safety Program.
Basic Functions and Responsibility:
To function as a Nursing Practice Leader and change agent for specific patient populations by incorporating the roles of clinical and quality improvement specialist, educator, consultant, practitioner, EBP/researcher and administrator as indicated to support and enhance patient care. Provide leadership and supervision for assigned areas of responsibility.
Characteristic Duties and Responsibilities:
Provide Leadership and Oversight for Nursing Quality Initiatives and Nursing Practice Improvement:
- Provide leadership for nursing care delivery and documentation using systematic evaluation, quality improvement, evidence-based practice and research strategies.
- Collaborate with nursing, medical staff and other health professionals in the development and review of policies and guidelines for adult patients for nursing quality.
- Demonstrates and disseminate knowledge of nursing quality and support effective education and implementation/sustainment strategies.
- Serve as an expert resource for nursing quality strategies.
- Plan, implement, and evaluate patient care practices for adult patients.
- Provide leadership in implementing strategies to prevent errors and improve patient safety as indicated by nursing quality metrics/nursing sensitive indicators.
- Develop and maintain an areas of specialty expertise and ownership, as well as support all nursing quality initiatives.
Specialized Services for Nursing Care:
- Support the conduct of research and translate findings from evidence-based research into clinical practice.
- Review literature and national standards regarding nursing quality indicators. Uses relevant nursing literature to improve clinical practice and investigate nursing care problems related to nursing quality.
- Utilize process and quality improvement strategies in collaboration with the Quality Improvement Program.
- Work with HCIS to develop optimal documentation strategies to enhance nursing workflow, patient safety, and high quality care.
Provide Education, Training, and Support:
- Ensure basic understanding of priority quality initiatives using education, training, and support strategies.
- Mentor and develop nurse leaders to develop quality improvement knowledge, skill and expertise in order to identify, implement, and sustain improved metrics for nursing care outcomes/nursing sensitive indicators
- Develop and disseminate patient education material related to nursing quality metrics
- Demonstrate broad knowledge related to nursing care quality outcomes/nursing sensitive indicators
- Maintain knowledge of current trends and issues in healthcare, nursing practice, national and statewide standards and regulations, enterprise policies, protocols, and guidelines as related to clinical practice and the legal implications.
- Active involvement in regulatory visits and ongoing organizational readiness.
- Promote safe and effective care delivery through review of events and development, implementation and support for ongoing solutions.
- Collaborate with nursing leaders to support quality and safety initiatives
Quality:
- Close collaboration with the Quality Improvement Program (QuIP) on all nursing quality outcomes/nursing sensitive outcome metrics, including but not limited to pressure injury prevention programs/CLABSI/CAUTI/Falls/Palliative Care/pain/blood management strategies
- Benchmark and network with similar organizations to identify opportunities and strategies for improvement.
- Essential members of the Department of Nursing Quality Committee.
Human Resources Management:
- Provide direction, evaluative feedback, coaching and counseling to any UI Health Care staff or employee to ensure outcomes are achieved.
- Identify professional development opportunities and encourage continuous learning throughout the department of nursing.
- Actively support transition from current to desired culture, practices, structure, and overall organizational environment.
- Provide leadership and guidance to interdisciplinary colleagues in multiple areas of specialty, including mentorship and training.
Percent of Time: 90% - 36 hours per week
Schedule: The majority of the worked hours will fall between the M-F 0700 - 1700 timeframe, with the expectation that this role will need to be available occasionally on off-shifts/weekends to support nursing staff around key quality initiatives.
Location: UI Health Care Main Campus
P&S Pay Plan: 5B https://hr.uiowa.edu/pay/pay-plans/professional-and-scientific-pay-structure-b
Benefits Highlights:
- Regular salaried position located in Iowa City, Iowa
- Fringe benefit package including paid vacation; sick leave; health, dental, life and disability insurance options; and generous employer contributions into retirement plans
- For more information about Why Iowa?, click here
Required Qualifications:
- Master's Degree in Nursing or related field. If Master's degree is not in Nursing, a BSN is required
- Current license to practice nursing in Iowa
- Considerable (3-5 years) clinical experience in a health care environment of similar size and complexity such as a large medical center or teaching hospital
- Minimum of 1 year in a clinical leadership role in a similar setting
- At least 1 year experience contributing to practice change implementation using design, workflow analysis, education, training, and other sustainment strategy
- Ability to lead change in a complex academic healthcare environment and promote the understanding and effective use of quality and process improvement strategies across departments
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with confidence to present to groups of all sizes. Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with technical and non-technical staff
- Demonstrated project management skills: ability to coordinate activities and projects across departments, ability to manage time, organize a complex workload, make effective decisions, and maintain attention to detail.
- Strong interest in quality and process improvement science
- Proficiency with the Microsoft Suite of products (such as Outlook, Word, Excel, OneNote, PowerPoint)
- Experience working independently with a strong focus on customer service
- Must be flexible and able to shift priorities to shifting clinical quality priorities
- Professional job-related experience fostering or promoting a welcoming and respectful work/academic environment where people of all backgrounds and perspectives feel welcomed and appreciated; or demonstrated the ability to do so
Desired Qualifications:
- Clinical practice experience within University of Iowa Health Care
- Experience using Epic in an ambulatory or hospital setting
- Certification in nursing or health care quality
Please attach a resume as part of the application process. Job openings are posted for a minimum of 14 calendar days. This job may be removed from posting and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended. For questions or additional information, please contact rebecca-beggs@uiowa.edu
Successful candidates will be required to self-disclose any conviction history and will be subject to a criminal background check and credential/education verification. This position is not eligible for University sponsorship for employment authorization.
Equal opportunity/affirmative action employer
The University of Iowa is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment free from discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth and related conditions), disability, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, service in the U.S. military, sexual orientation, gender identity, or associational preferences.
Persons with disabilities who need assistance or accommodations with the application or interview process may contact University Human Resources/Faculty and Staff Disability Services, (319) 335-2660 or fsds@uiowa.edu. For jobs in UI Health care, please contact UI Health care Leave & Disability Administration at 319-356-7543.
