Clinical Education Specialist - Perioperative Services - 40hr

About the Role

The Department Clinical Education Specialist is a registered nurse who influences professional role competence and professional growth of learners. This individual supports lifelong learners in an interprofessional environment that facilitates continuous development. The specialist serves as a Learning Facilitator, Change Agent, Mentor, Leader, Champion for Scientific Inquiry, Advocate for the Nursing Professional Development Specialty, and Partner for Practice Transition.

Key responsibilities include onboarding/orientation, competency management, education, professional role development, research/evidence-based practice/quality improvement, and collaborative partnerships with a focus on the department’s clinical employees. The role involves collaborating, consulting, and partnering with the department’s leadership team and may include providing direct patient care.

Under general supervision, the specialist assumes 24-hour accountability for planning and providing direct professional nursing care for specified patients throughout the entire episode of service delivery. This includes nursing services aligned with professional standards, Connecticut Children’s policies, Joint Commission requirements, and State and Federal regulations. A key concept is 24-hour accountability for assessing and meeting the learning needs of clinical employees.

Responsibilities

• Analyzes issues, trends, and supporting data to determine the needs of individuals, organizations, and communities in relation to healthcare.
• Collects data and information to validate identified gaps in professional practice and determine specific knowledge, skill, or practice deficits or opportunities.
• Identifies desired outcomes of the educational plan.
• Establishes a plan that prescribes strategies, alternatives, and resources to achieve expected outcomes.
• Implements the identified plan and coordinates educational initiatives and activities.
• Employs strategies to facilitate positive learning and practice environments.
• Provides consultation to influence plans, enhance the abilities of others, and effect change.
• Evaluates progress toward attainment of outcomes.
• Integrates ethics in all areas of practice.
• Maintains current knowledge and competency in nursing and professional development practice.
• Acts as a champion of scientific inquiry, generating new knowledge and integrating best available evidence into practice.
• Systematically enhances the quality and effectiveness of nursing professional development practice.
• Acts as a change agent within all settings.
• Provides leadership in the professional practice setting and the profession.
• Collaborates with interprofessional teams, leaders, stakeholders, and others to facilitate nursing and positive outcomes for consumers.
• Evaluates personal practice in relation to professional practice standards and guidelines and relevant statutes, rules, and regulations.
• Considers factors related to quality, safety, effectiveness, and cost regarding professional development activities and expected outcomes.
• Advances the profession and the specialty through mentoring and contributions to the professional development of others.
• Demonstrates support for the mission, values, and goals of the organization through consistent behaviors.
• Demonstrates ownership and accountability for department and organization outcomes (e.g., nursing retention rates, Patient & Family Experience measures).
• Demonstrates flexibility in schedule to provide off-shift visibility.

Position-Specific Responsibilities

Clinical Education Specialist

• Focuses responsibilities within the department of hire.

Direct Patient Care

• Clinical Practice: Demonstrates clinical expertise and uses the nursing process to provide safe, appropriate patient care to a defined patient population according to Connecticut Children’s and unit policies and standards.
• Population-Specific: Demonstrates knowledge of the differences and needs of patients in specific populations from neonate through adolescence and applies them to practice. Exhibits cultural sensitivity in all interactions with patients/families.
• Unit Leadership: Delegates duties and tasks associated with patient care to clinical staff according to hospital policy and their scope of practice. Contributes to unit leadership by functioning as the Resource Nurse and/or participating in the professional development of others through preceptor/mentor activities. Supports unit/department work productivity and resource management.
• Documentation/Communication: Completes all required documentation in a timely manner according to policies and standards; communicates necessary information effectively to all members of the healthcare team.
• Patient/Family Partnership & Education: Partners with child and family in evaluating outcomes. Monitors, trends, and evaluates patient/family responses to treatment. Provides education to patients and families regarding all aspects of care; supports organizational efforts in patient/family education.
• CCMC Standards: Demonstrates support for the mission, values, and goals of the organization through consistent behaviors.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Plays a role in the selection of new employees.
• Collaborates with the nursing leadership team to support employees’ clinical practice and professional development.
• Provides mentoring and coaching to employees.
• Provides feedback to the nursing leadership team to support the Performance Management Process.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in nursing required; MSN preferred.
• Education and experience in Professional Development/education strongly preferred.
• Experience in adult learning and program development strongly preferred.
• Minimum two years of Perioperative nursing experience, preferably in a pediatric acute care facility.
• CNOR or CPAN certification required within 2 years of hire into the role.

Qualifications

• Current CT RN Licensure.
• For Clinical Education Specialists hired after 11/1/16, current certification in Nursing Professional Development preferred but required within three years of hire.
• Current certification in CPR/BLS/PALS.

Skills

Knowledge of:

• Adult instructional methods and theories, learning concepts, and evaluation.
• Nursing and professional development practice.
• Regulatory/Compliance/Joint Commission standards.
• Theory, principles, techniques, and practice of professional nursing.
• State regulations regarding nursing practice.
• Clinical standards of care; documentation and patient record policies and standards.
• Teaching techniques; identification of learning needs and provision of patient/family education.
• Developmental and population-specific patient & family assessment techniques and their application to practice.
• Accreditation and certification requirements and standards.

Skills and Abilities:

• Exceptional interpersonal, organizational, and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate effectively within a team, across disciplines, and with patients and families.
• High-level customer service skills to establish and enhance positive relationships.
• High emotional intelligence and a positive, engaging personality.
• Strong instructional design and training skills.
• Comfortable facilitating training or presenting information in front of large groups.
• Well-developed critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Leadership and management skills or potential to learn, including communication, conflict resolution, team building, problem-solving, and decision-making.
• Strong computer skills in Microsoft Office Suite products and the ability to learn and use the organization’s Learning Management System.
• Ability to function independently, prioritize, and manage time effectively.
• Flexible schedule to meet employee learning needs, including the ability to work approximately 25% off-shift.
• Demonstrates all Connecticut Children’s Leadership core behaviors, values, and code of conduct or the potential to do so.
• Professional capacity and ability to serve as a role model.
• Contributes to quality assurance programs and enforces organizational and unit policies, procedures, and standards.
• Makes clinical and procedural decisions using the nursing process.
• Maintains confidentiality of information.
• Delegates appropriately to ancillary staff.

About Us

Connecticut Children’s is the only health system in Connecticut that is 100% dedicated to children. Established on a legacy spanning more than 100 years, Connecticut Children’s offers personalized medical care in over 30 pediatric specialties across Connecticut and in two other states. Our transformational growth establishes us as a destination for specialized medicine and enables us to reach more children in locations closer to home. Our breakthrough research, superior education and training, innovative community partnerships, and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion provide a welcoming and inspiring environment for our patients, families, and team members.

At Connecticut Children’s, treating children isn’t just our job—it’s our passion. As a leading children’s health system experiencing steady growth, we’re excited to expand our team with exceptional members who share our vision of transforming children’s health and well-being as one team.