Behavioral Health- Nursing Professional Development Practitioner I-

University of Maryland Medical System; Largo (MD); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Maryland Medical System seeks an experienced nurse educator to provide leadership, education, and professional support to direct care staff and leaders in nursing and patient care services. The role delivers orientation and competency-based programs to strengthen clinical knowledge and standardize practice at the unit and divisional levels.

This position partners with unit/divisional leadership to optimize preceptorship, evaluate learning needs, and advance evidence-based nursing

Qualifications

• BSN from an accredited graduate program is required.
• Licensure as a Registered Nurse in Maryland, or eligible for Maryland licensure.
• Minimum of three (3) years of related nursing experience.
• Certification in Nursing Professional Development or other specialty certification.

Responsibilities

• Coordinates and evaluates unit/divisional orientation for new hires and ensures alignment with policies.
• Collaborates with managers to select, assign, and evaluate preceptors; ensures role modeling and competency validation.
• Leads design, implementation, and evaluation of initial and ongoing competency programs at the unit/divisional level.
• Conducts practice gap analyses and learning needs assessments to develop education programs.
• Develops and sustains role transition programs for new-to-practice staff and transitions within specialties.
• Promotes evidence-based practice to improve clinical quality, safety, and cost-effective care.
• Monitors compliance with standards and develops action plans to address practice gaps.
• Serves as a consultant and educator to nursing staff using data to advance education initiatives.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Skills

Leadership

Education & Teaching

Clinical Education

Competency Assessment

Education

BSN (Accredited program)

Job description

Job Requirements

Under limited supervision, provides leadership, expertise, and professional support services to direct care staff and leaders in nursing and patient care services at the unit and/or divisional level. Serving as an educator, consultant, collaborator, facilitator, and change agent, this role supports excellence in clinical care, patient care and nursing practice. The role delivers essential education, orientation, and competency-based programs that strengthen clinical knowledge and ensures consistency in unit‑and‑divisional‑level practice. The scope of responsibility and accountability aligns with professional standards and continuously evolves to meet the demands of the practice setting.

Work Experience

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from an accredited graduate program is required.

• Licensure as a Registered Nurse in the state of Maryland, or eligible for licensure in Maryland.
• A minimum of three (3) years of related experience is required.
• Certification in Nursing Professional Development or other specialty certification.

Preferred Experience

• Graduate degree preferred.

Primary Responsibilities

• Coordinates and continuously evaluates clinical orientation for unit/divisional new hires and ensures orientation content aligns with policies and procedures; incorporates feedback and outcome data to drive ongoing improvements.
• Collaborates with department managers to strategically select, assign, and evaluate preceptors, ensuring appropriate role modeling and competency validation.
• Leads the design, implementation, and evaluation of initial and ongoing competency programs for the unit and/or division and ensures criteria meet compliance, quality, and regulatory needs.
• Conducts comprehensive practice gap analyses and learning needs assessments to develop, implement, and evaluate education programs.
• Develops, implements, and sustains role transition programs for new-to-practice staff and staff transitioning from one specialty or role to another in alignment with accreditation requirements at the unit and/or divisional level.
• Integrates and promotes evidence-based practice initiatives to enhance clinical quality, patient safety, and cost effective patient care processes at the unit/divisional level. Serves as a resource and change agent to support innovation and adoption at the unit/divisional level.
• Monitors and analyzes unit/divisional compliance with hospital and regulatory standards; develops, implements, and evaluates action plans to address identified practice gaps and sustain improvements.
• Serves as a consultant, mentor, and educator to clinical nursing staff in collaboration with unit/divisional leadership; partners to analyze trends in satisfaction, quality outcomes, and practice excellence using data to inform and advance ongoing educational efforts and initiatives to advance nursing practice.
• Performs all other duties as assigned.

Benefits

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Compensation

• Other Compensation (if applicable):
• Review the 2025-2026 UMMS Benefits Guide