Patient Experience Initiative Specialist- Registered Nurse

Akron Children's; Akron (OH); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Akron Children’s is seeking a Patient Experience Initiative Specialist to lead enterprise-wide improvements in patient and family experience across inpatient, ambulatory, and community settings. The role blends nursing expertise with performance improvement, patient advocacy, and staff development to support high-quality, patient-centered care.

The position requires a BSN, an Ohio RN license, and a minimum of three years in nursing or related fields, with certification in CPXP, PMP, Lean Six

Qualifications

• BSN required; master's degree preferred.
• Ohio RN license required.
• CPXP, PMP, Lean Six Sigma or related certification preferred; if CPXP not held at hire, certification must be obtained within two years.
• Minimum of three years of experience in nursing, patient experience, quality improvement, or related field.
• No supervisory experience required.

Responsibilities

• Leads enterprise-wide patient and family experience improvement initiatives across inpatient, ambulatory, and community settings.
• Analyzes patient experience data, complaints, compliments, and quality metrics to identify trends and opportunities for improvement.
• Acts as organizational consultant for patient experience, advising leaders, providers, and staff on patient-centered care and service excellence.
• Collaborates with leaders and interdisciplinary teams to implement strategies that improve patient experience outcomes.
• Conducts patient and leader rounding observations and coaches staff on service excellence and patient-centered behaviors.
• Implements evidence-based practices to enhance patient engagement and communication.

Skills

Interpersonal communication

Facilitation

Data analysis

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Presentation skills

Education

BSN

Master's degree preferred in Nursing or related field

Tools

SharePoint

MS Office (Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint)

NRC Health / Press Ganey systems

Job description

Summary

The Patient Experience Initiative Specialist is responsible for leading, coordinating, and advancing initiatives that enhance the patient and family experience across Akron Children's. This role combines clinical nursing expertise with performance improvement, patient advocacy, organizational consulting, staff development, and service excellence strategies to support high-quality, patient-centered care.

Full-Time: 40 Hours Per Week

1st Shift: 8am - 4pm
Monday - Friday

Responsibilities

• Leads enterprise-wide patient and family experience improvement initiatives across inpatient, ambulatory, and community-based settings.
• Analyzes patient experience data, complaints, grievances, compliments, and quality metrics to identify trends, prioritize opportunities, and recommend improvement strategies.
• Serves as an organizational consultant and subject matter expert for patient and family experience, providing guidance to leaders, providers, and staff on patient-centered care and service excellence.
• Collaborate with organizational leaders and interdisciplinary teams to develop, implement, and evaluate strategies that enhance patient and family experience outcomes.
• Conducts patient and leader rounding observations and provides coaching to reinforce service excellence standards, effective communication, and patient-centered behaviors.
• Facilitates the implementation of evidence-based practices that improve patient engagement, communication, satisfaction, and overall experience outcomes.
• Develops and delivers education, training, and coaching programs related to patient experience, communication, empathy, service recovery, de-escalation, and customer service excellence.
• Leads and participates in organizational quality improvement initiatives, committees, and workgroups focused on advancing patient and family experience.
• Monitors, evaluates, and communicates patient experience trends, outcomes, and organizational performance metrics to leadership, providing recommendations for continuous improvement and sustainability.
• Leads and supports culture-building initiatives that promote accountability, compassion, safety, inclusion, and excellence in care delivery while supporting departmental and organizational goals as needed.

Technical Expertise

• Excellent interpersonal communication, facilitation, conflict resolution, coaching, and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex data and translate findings into actionable improvement strategies.
• Strong organizational, project management, and prioritization skills with the ability to manage multiple initiatives and competing deadlines.
• Strong understanding of patient and family-centered care principles, patient experience methodology, service recovery, and healthcare quality improvement practices.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and effectively with all levels of the organization, including physicians, leaders, and frontline staff.
• Experience with patient experience measurement platforms and databases, including NRC Health, Press Ganey, or similar systems, preferred.
• Experience with performance improvement methodologies, Lean, Lean Six Sigma, or equivalent process improvement frameworks preferred.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications including Outlook, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint required. Experience creating and maintaining SharePoint content preferred.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment, provide consultation, and influence outcomes without direct supervisory authority.

Education And Experience

• Education: BSN required. Master's degree in nursing, Healthcare Administration, Organizational Development, Business Administration, or related field required. Candidates actively pursuing a master's degree may be considered.
• Licensed registered nurse in the state of Ohio is required.
• Certification: Certified Patient Experience Professional (CPXP), Project Management Professional (PMP), Lean Six Sigma, or related certification preferred. If not CPXP certified upon hire, certification must be obtained within two years of employment.
• Years of relevant experience: Minimum of three years of experience in nursing, patient experience, quality improvement, organizational development, healthcare operations, or related field required.
• Years of experience supervising: None.

Full Time
FTE: 1.000000
Status: Onsite