Patient Safety Officer - Nurse Coordinator

For questions regarding this position, please contact Jeremy Holforty at (951) 955-5558 or jholfort@rivco.org. Please allow 1-2 business days for a response to general inquiries.

About the role

The County of Riverside - Riverside University Health System (RUHS) is recruiting for a Patient Safety Officer (Nurse Coordinator) for the Performance & Service Excellence team. This position supports a comprehensive program focused on patient safety, quality improvement, regulatory and accreditation readiness, patient experience, and Lean transformation within the inpatient hospital environment.

Under the direction of the Director responsible for patient safety, this position assists in implementing and coordinating the inpatient patient safety program and manages day-to-day activities such as safety event reporting, follow-up, adverse event review support, and monitoring corrective actions to reduce patient harm. The Patient Safety Officer serves as a clinical resource to leaders and staff, promoting patient safety practices, high-reliability principles, and a strong safety culture.

The Patient Safety Officer is responsible for preparing and monitoring patient safety data, dashboards, and reports; identifying trends; and supporting communication of findings to leadership and hospital committees. The role maintains required documentation and contributes to all regulatory and accreditation readiness activities related to patient safety. Additional responsibilities include supporting the development and maintenance of patient safety–related policies, procedures, and committee structures, as well as assisting with hospital safety priorities, quality initiatives, and Lean process improvement efforts aimed at improving outcomes, reducing risk, and enhancing the overall inpatient experience.

Responsibilities

• Plan, organize, coordinate, and evaluate patient care within a specialized nursing or clinical program; assess patients' clinical needs and staffing requirements for specialty clinical care programs.
• Provide leadership in the development and implementation of policies, procedures, standards of care and practice, and objectives for specialized clinical programs.
• Lead the development, implementation, and delivery of safe, high-quality, and evidence-based patient care plans and interventions through research, education, and training of multidisciplinary staff.
• Utilize evaluation data in collaboration with other health disciplines to influence the revision of total patient care plans or clinical programs.
• Identify common recurrent patient problems, symptoms, and/or behavioral changes in relation to standards of care and individual patient needs.
• Collaborate with physicians and other healthcare providers in assessing the physical, psycho-social, and cultural needs and standards of care of specific patient populations.
• Collaborate with medical center nursing and multidisciplinary staff in developing and implementing strategic plans to achieve positive health outcomes of specific or target patient populations.
• Monitor and ensure program and staff compliance with Joint Commission, state and federal standards and regulations, and RUHS policies regarding patient care.
• Identify learning needs and oversee the orientation and training of personnel; coordinate the training of students on the patient care units, clinics, and programs.
• Develop educational materials about the specialty area for staff, patients, families, and community members.
• Prepare, review, and assist in the development of the capital equipment budget plan; provide input into preparation of personnel and operating budgets and is accountable for budget variances for specialty and/or clinical program.
• Conduct educational/training activities for patient, family, and staff regarding recurrent health problems and health practices related to maintenance of wellness and prevention of diseases.
• Participate in quality improvement and clinical research activities related to patient care.
• May participate in the hiring, selection, and performance evaluation of staff members.
• Keep abreast of new developments in the nursing or clinical specialty field.

Requirements

• Possession of a current license to practice as a Registered Nurse in the State of California.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) from the American Heart Association.

Qualifications

Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree in nursing. A Master's degree in nursing is preferred. (Additional qualifying experience may substitute for up to a maximum of two years of education on the basis of one year of full-time experience being equal to 30 semester or 45 quarter units.)

Experience:

• Option I: Four years of progressively responsible nursing experience on the nursing staff of an accredited acute care hospital, which included some experience in a lead capacity for a specialty area.
• Option II: One year as a charge nurse, Registered Nurse IV or V, or an equivalent supervisory position in a healthcare facility.

Skills

Knowledge of:

• Modern principles, techniques, and procedures of nursing; nursing processes and its application in patient care.
• Licensure, accreditation, and regulatory requirements.
• Principles and techniques of effective supervision and administration.
• Principles of quality assurance and research.
• Problem-solving techniques, team-building principles, and infection control as it relates to bed assignments.

Ability to:

• Plan, organize, direct, coordinate, and review the activities of assigned nursing services.
• Supervise, instruct, motivate, and train professional and nonprofessional employees.
• Analyze needs of nursing services in terms of personnel, equipment, and supplies.
• Identify opportunities for improvement in nursing operations consistent with contemporary nursing trends.
• Establish and maintain systems of records and reports.
• Establish and maintain cooperative relationships; apply management principles.
• Relate and work effectively with others; communicate effectively in verbal and written English.

Schedule

9/80 work schedule: Monday-Friday 7:00am to 4:30pm, off every other Friday or 7:00am to 3:30pm.

About the team

At Riverside University Health System Medical Center, nursing is more than a job—it’s an opportunity to make a real difference in a vibrant and diverse community. Nationally recognized for its forward-thinking and innovative approach to patient care, RUHS Medical Center is a proud teaching hospital and one of the top employers in the region.

Our 439-bed facility is a designated Level I Trauma Center, Primary Stroke Center, and home to the region’s only Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Here, you’ll gain valuable experience across a wide range of specialties, including trauma care, stroke, pediatrics, and critical care. We are committed to your professional growth, offering continuous education, training, and career development programs in a collaborative, supportive, and rewarding environment.

Discover more about RUHS Medical Center at www.ruhealth.org.