Nursing Professional Development Specialist

The Nursing Professional Development Specialist is responsible for programmatic leadership of professional development and education activities across the Clinical Practices of the University of Pennsylvania. The team designs and delivers programs, including orientation/onboarding, competency management, evidence-based practice, education, role transition, and collaborative partnerships to ensure that nursing and additional clinical roles deliver care at the same high standard and have opportunities for professional role competence and growth while focused on optimal population health.

Responsibilities

• Learning Facilitator:
  • Identifies and prioritizes the clinical staff’s learning needs in consideration of affected patient populations, new clinical evidence, organizational goals, and changes within the health system as well as nationally or globally.
  • Considers cultural, ethical, and generational components reflective of learners to achieve educational needs.
  • Designs educational nursing curricula framed by appropriate teaching/learning theories and validation methods for assessing nurse competency.
  • Integrates action-oriented learning while ensuring the provision of quality care and protection of the public.
  • Promotes patient-and-family-centered, culturally competent, and age-specific care throughout the educational programs offered by the department.
  • Leverages domains of education, program management, career development and scholarship, and leadership, adopted from Nursing Professional Development: Scope and Standards of Practice (Association of Nursing Professional Development, 2022).
  • Leads, teaches, and facilitates educational programs for a diverse audience using a variety of teaching methods, both in the classroom and clinical environments.
  • Selects appropriate program presenters (e.g., nurses, physicians, vendors, other professionals) for continuing education offerings and assists with preparation and logistics coordination.
  • Evaluates program outcomes and recommends improvements as needed.
• Change Agent:
  • Actively works to transform processes through inspiration, initiation, adoption, and sustainment to change using project management and improvement processes at the patient care unit, education department, or organizational level.
  • Organizes work effectively, ensuring effective stakeholder management, prioritization, optimal resource allocation, quality assurance, and timely project delivery.
• Mentor:
  • Advances the profession by contributing to the professional development of others (via residency, clinical ladders, etc.) and supporting lifelong learning as individuals develop across practice, professional, and educational settings.
• Leader:
  • Provides leadership to promote excellence in nursing practice, facilitates change initiatives, and supports the Penn Medicine research mission.
  • Coordinates with the department’s operations team and aids peers.
  • Serves as a liaison to communicate and negotiate multiple diverse perspectives in a respectful and effective manner to achieve/advocate positive change and delivery of appropriate and ethical care.
  • Adheres to Nursing Professional Development Department, accreditation agencies (state and national), and ANA policies for program management and annual reporting.
• Champion of Scientific Inquiry:
  • Promotes the generation and dissemination of new knowledge and evidence to advance NPD practice, guide clinical practice, and improve patient care.
  • Creates an environment of inquiry and learning that supports the autonomy and accountability of clinical roles, excellence in clinical practice, and upholds health system strategic goals and values.
• Partner for Practice Transitions:
  • Facilitates the transition of nurses and other healthcare team members across learning and practice environments, roles, and professional stages.
• Advocate for NPD Specialty:
  • Supports, promotes, and demonstrates nursing professional development as a nursing practice specialty via involvement with national organizations and scholarly work.
• Performs duties in accordance with Penn Medicine and entity values, policies, and procedures.
• Other duties as assigned to support the unit, department, entity, and health system organization.

Requirements

• Basic Cardiac Life Support (Required)
• Registered Nurse - PA (Required)

Qualifications

• Master of Arts or Science in Nursing from an accredited school of Nursing (Required)
• 2-5 years of relevant clinical experience in Nursing Professional Development
• NPDS Specialty or Ambulatory Care Specialty Certification (preferred)

Schedule

Part-time, 20+ hours based on operational need

Benefits

We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits program that includes one of the finest prepaid tuition assistance programs in the region.