Nurse Clinician, Diabetes Educator, 32 Hour Days

Exemption Status: Exempt

Pay

Hiring Range: $91,644.80 - $164,944.00. The final offer may vary within this range based on a candidate’s experience, skills, qualifications, and internal equity considerations.

Schedule

• Monday through Friday
• Scheduled Hours: 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM or 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
• Shift: Day Shift, 8 Hours
• Hours: 32 per week

About the Role

At UMass Memorial Health, everyone is a caregiver – regardless of their title or responsibilities. Exceptional patient care, academic excellence, and leading-edge research make UMass Memorial the premier health system of Central Massachusetts. We are more than 20,000 employees working together as one health system in a relentless pursuit of healing for our patients, community, and each other.

This position may have a signing bonus available; a member of the Recruitment Team will confirm eligibility during the interview process.

Responsibilities

• Assess, plan, implement, and evaluate diabetes self-management education for patients and families with diabetes.
• Collaborate with administrative and physician leadership within the Diabetes Center of Excellence to develop and deliver a new, affordable model of care for diabetes patients, families, and the community.
• Collaborate with referring providers to develop and implement diabetes self-management education and treatment plans.
• Utilize the nursing process, motivational interviewing techniques, and patient education principles to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate diabetes self-management plans across cultures and the continuum of care.
• Conduct assessments of patients’ diabetes knowledge, readiness to learn, motivation to adhere to provider regimens, and identify learning barriers (physical, cognitive, environmental, cultural, language, financial, psychological, and spiritual). Provide appropriate referrals as necessary.
• Demonstrate advanced knowledge of pre-diabetes, prevention of diabetes, and adult diabetes management concepts, including insulin starts, insulin-to-carb ratios, mealtime insulin, insulin pump therapy, glucose sensor training, continuous glucose monitoring, and prevention of diabetes complications.
• Design individualized teaching plans according to provider treatment plans, in conjunction with a multidisciplinary team, based on mutually agreed goals with the patient and family.
• Participate in the development of telehealth and/or shared medical appointment initiatives when feasible.
• Communicate with referring physicians if referrals are beyond the scope of practice and discuss other referrals as necessary.
• Work collaboratively and innovatively with referring providers and clinic staff to improve access to care for newly diagnosed diabetes patients.
• Ensure patients and family members understand the proper use of insulin, insulin pumps, oral medications, signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia, DKA, prevention of complications, sick day regimens, use of diabetes devices, glucometers, and diabetes software management programs.
• Educate and motivate patients and families by imparting the pathophysiological and epidemiological basis for the disease process.
• Articulate clinical practice guidelines associated with the AADE7 self-care behaviors framework.
• Assess behaviors and motivation of patients and families to facilitate lifestyle modification and prevent/reduce comorbidities associated with diabetes.
• Implement medical, behavioral, and educational plans to improve adherence to the comprehensive plan of care and facilitate problem-solving to prevent short- and long-term complications of diabetes.
• Utilize evidence-based practice, patient-centered care, adult teaching-learning methods, and motivational interviewing techniques to guide practice and improve adherence in chronic disease management.
• Document all educational content, including assessments, planning, intervention, behavioral goal setting, and outcomes accurately in the electronic medical record.
• Demonstrate proficiency in charge entry, monthly statistics, ADA recognition, and compliance with UMMHC standards, insurance payer mandates, and Diabetes Center of Excellence standards.
• Demonstrate flexibility, innovation, fiscal responsibility, and engagement in the development of the Diabetes Center of Excellence and Accountable Care Organization.
• Evaluate patients’ responses to treatment modalities and reassess/revise the plan of care as needed to help patients attain goals. Communicate with referring providers and document accordingly.
• Assess the impact of social, economic, literacy, and cultural aspects and circumstances. Model culturally competent behavior and work to remove barriers to help patients and families attain optimum health goals.
• Continuously monitor appointment schedules and prioritize referrals to accommodate newly diagnosed and high-risk patients to improve access and decrease lag time.
• Provide education and motivational sessions through individualized sessions and group classes.
• Provide follow-up communication via telephone, mail, or email as indicated in post-education classes in accordance with established department guidelines and provider requests.
• Keep educational content and handouts current in individual and class sessions.
• Collaborate with Registered Dietitians to update all medical and nutrition materials in concert with American Association of Diabetes Education practice guidelines and American Diabetes Association requirements.
• Actively participate in raising awareness of diabetes via Diabetes Center of Excellence events, educating healthcare providers and the community through talks, health fairs, regional meetings, interdisciplinary rounds, resident and fellow precepting, and clinic staff training.
• Demonstrate a commitment to the Diabetes Center of Excellence team by volunteering for special projects, collaborating with the team, providing clinical expertise, identifying patients for research, and offering insights to patient care.
• Maintain proficiency with current diabetes management tools, evidence-based clinical practice, patient education methods, and behavioral techniques to improve patient adherence through membership in specialty organizations and self-development.
• Maintain national diabetes educator credentials and act in accordance with competencies set forth by the American Association of Diabetes Educators.
• Participate in practice changes as a result of performance improvement team activities.
• Provide nursing leadership in system re-design for diabetes patient education as required.
• Comply with established departmental policies and procedures, and clinical and research objectives.
• Attend meetings, conferences, and seminars as required or directed to meet departmental goals.
• Demonstrate the use of Quality Improvement in daily operations.
• Comply with all health and safety regulations and requirements.
• Respect diverse views and approaches, demonstrate Standards of Respect, and contribute to a professional, tolerant, and civil environment for all employees, patients, and visitors.
• Maintain regular, reliable, and predictable attendance.
• Perform other similar and related duties as required or directed.

Qualifications

• License/Certification/Education:
  • Required: Associate’s degree from an accredited program in nursing.
  • Required: Current licensure as a registered nurse in the state of Massachusetts.
  • Required: Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) credential within two years of hire.
  • Required: Proficiency in Microsoft Word; experience and proficiency with electronic medical records.
  • Preferred: BSN degree in nursing from an accredited program.
  • Preferred: Additional registration with the Commission on Dietetic Registration.
  • Preferred: Knowledge of MS Excel and PowerPoint.
• Experience/Skill:
  • Required: Thorough knowledge of the discipline of Nursing.
  • Required: Ability to influence the quality of patient care in an advisory capacity to physicians and other healthcare team members.
  • Required: Demonstrated skill in analyzing problems and making decisions.
  • Required: Strong oral, written communication, and teamwork skills to interact with patients, staff, and referring providers.
  • Required: Proficiency in Microsoft Office products and electronic medical records.
  • Preferred: Two years of diabetes-related experience.

Unless certification, licensure, or registration is required, an equivalent combination of education and experience which provides proficiency in the areas of responsibility may be substituted for the above requirements.