Nursing Professional Development Specialist

Waterbury Health; West Side Hill (CT); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Waterbury Health is seeking a Nursing Professional Development Specialist on a per diem basis to lead clinical education across the hospital. You will design, deliver, and evaluate educational programs using adult learning principles to bridge knowledge gaps and improve patient care.

Reporting to the Director of Nursing Education, you will collaborate with unit leaders, coordinate training schedules, and promote evidence-based practice while supporting professional development and regulatory

Qualifications

• Current Registered Nurse license in Connecticut
• Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing Education, Adult Education or nursing clinical specialization; Master’s preferred (required within 3 years of hire)
• Certification in specialty preferred (required for OB and OR)
• 3-5 years as staff nurse or nurse supervisor with classroom/clinical education experience
• Demonstrated competency in adult learning principles and techniques
• Demonstrated competency in classroom and/or small group instruction and facilitation
• Ability to manage complex projects with multi-month timelines and competing deadlines
• Proficiency with computers and ability to access internet and hospital procedures

Responsibilities

• Uses educational design and adult learning principles to address learning needs and evaluate outcomes
• Acts as change agent to transform processes across micro, meso, and macro system levels
• Contributes to the professional development of others and supports ongoing learning
• Leads and collaborates with nursing leadership to solve complex problems
• Supports practice transitions and promotes nursing education as a specialty
• Develops and delivers educational activities using diverse teaching methods to meet competency goals
• Maintains relationships with stakeholder groups and coordinates training schedules
• Utilizes evaluation tools to determine program effectiveness and revise curricula
• Incorporates HealthStream for courses, testing, enrollment, and reporting
• Ensures compliance with Joint Commission and institutional standards

Skills

Adult learning

Educational design

Change management

Nursing leadership

Interprofessional collaboration

Project management

Outcome evaluation

Education

Bachelor’s in Nursing Education

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

HealthStream

Job description

Nursing Professional Development Specialist

Medical Education

Per Diem , Rotating , as needed

SCOPE OF POSITION:

Uses clinical knowledge and adult learning principles and techniques to provide educational services and events to clinical personnel that foster clinical competency hospital-wide. Collaborates with unit / department directors, assistant directors, and clinical instructors to identify learning needs and to plan, develop, deliver, and evaluate educational programs directed toward the achievement of excellence in clinical care and practice. Reports to Director of Nursing Education.

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Uses educational design and adult learning principles to bridge gaps through learning needs assessment and evaluation of outcomes
• Change Agent
  • Actively works to transform processes at micro, meso, and macro system levels.
  • Uses change management strategy to drive desired outcomes
• Advances the profession of nursing by contributing to the professional development of others and supporting ongoing professional learning
• Leader
  • Recognized as part of nursing leadership
  • Collaborates with other leaders to solve complex problems
  • Influences interprofessional practice and learning environments, the profession of nursing, and healthcare
• Champion for Inquiry
  • Promotes spirit of inquiry
  • Generates and disseminates new knowledge
  • Promotes and integrates evidence to guide clinical practice and improve quality of care
• Partner for Practice Transitions
  • Supports transition of nurses and other healthcare team members across practice
• Advocate for Specialty
  • Actively supports, promotes, and demonstrates nursing professional development as a nursing practice specialty
• Plans and develops educational activities, resource guides, and other tools using adult learning principles and various teaching methods (e.g., classroom instruction, computer-based learning, demonstrations, simulations, and case studies, handouts, newsletters) to facilitate and enhance the achievement of individual, departmental, and institutional competency and training goals related to clinical care and practice.
• Creates and maintains positive working relationships with stakeholder groups. Participates in opportunities to network with customer groups including school faculty and members of professional organizations.
• Maintains knowledge of Joint Commission standards and institutional / departmental standards, ensuring compliance with applicable standards. Responds to regulatory requirements by assisting in the creation of systems and processes to address performance deficiencies. Cre ates and delivers targeted educational events to correct deficiencies.
• Collaborates with stakeholders to establish and distribute training schedules to all customer groups.
• Uses and/or initiates research with the goal of enhancing performance and educational outcomes.
• Develops, administers, and interprets results from appropriate program evaluation tools to determine effectiveness of training programs and events. Revises course curriculum based on program evaluation results.
• Utilizes the HealthStream e-learning system to, author courses, create tests, assign classes as appropriate, enroll students, grant credit and/or grade classes, and run relevant completion reports for self and stakeholders.
• Provides support to decentralized Clinical Instructors.
• Maintains clinical and educational competence.
• Accountable for special projects as identified and assigned.
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Current Registered Nurse license in Connecticut required
• Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing Education, Adult Education or nursing clinical specialization required, Master’s preferred (required within 3 years of hire date)
• Certification in specialty preferred (required for OB and OR)
• 3-5 years as staff nurse or nurse supervisor as well as classroom / clinical education experience
• Demonstrated expertise in clinical area
• Demonstrated competency in adult learning principles and techniques
• Demonstrated competency in classroom and/or small group instruction and facilitation
• Possesses interpersonal and communication skills appropriate to the audience including the ability to identify and use position-specific language and terminology
• Ability to manage complex projects with multi-month timelines, competing deadlines, and within resources
• Ability to work as a member of an interdisciplinary team
• Ability to stand or sit for two or more hours at a time without breaks
• Must have basic computer skills and ability to access internet and other programs applicable to Waterbury Hospital procedures.
• Perform automated functions that fall within job responsibility.

THE ABOVE DESCRIPTION COVERS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DUTIES PERFORMED BUT DOES NOT EXCLUDE OTHER OCCASIONAL WORK ASSIGNMENTS NOT MENTIONED, THE INCLUSION OF WHICH WOULD BE IN CONFORMITY WITH THE FACTOR DEGREES ASSIGNED TO THIS JOB.