Programmatic Nurse Specialist (RN) - L&D / Antepartum / OB OR's & PACU (Harrisburg)

UPMC; Harrisburg (Dauphin County); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

UPMC Harrisburg seeks a Programmatic Nurse Specialist to lead nursing care across Women’s & Children’s Services. You will apply expert clinical knowledge, mentor staff, and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to achieve quality patient outcomes.

The role emphasizes education, program development, and ongoing professional development in a dynamic academic environment.

Qualifications

• Clinical experience in Women's and Children's Services preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor staff and preceptors.
• Experience with quality improvement and patient safety initiatives.
• Excellent teamwork and collaboration across disciplines.
• Strong communication and leadership capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Develops and maintains productive internal and external relationships through mentoring and positive communication; models professional conduct.
• Serves as mentor for staff and preceptors; acts as resource for patients and other disciplines.
• Guides staff to develop care plans with patients and families; leads process improvements.
• Provides teaching to staff for emergent situations and patient/family education.
• Leads quality improvement and evidence-based practice initiatives across service lines.
• Utilizes nursing process to educate staff, coordinate care, and ensure timely discharge planning.

Skills

Clinical experience

Team collaboration

Mentoring staff

Quality improvement

Effective communication

Education

RN license

Job description

Position Detail:

• Full-time, 40 hours per week, salaried position
• Work location: Women's & Children's Services (Labor & Delivery, Antepartum, Maternity/Postpartum, Pediatrics, and associated inpatient clinical areas) - UPMC Harrisburg
• Work Schedule:
  • Monday - Friday, day shift
  • No weekends or holidays
• Preferred experience:
  • Clinical experience and exposure within Women's and Children's Services, including experience in the following areas: Labor & Delivery, Antepartum, Maternity/Postpartum, Pediatrics, Pediatric Critical Care, NICU, or related specialty areas.
  • Demonstrated understanding of the continuum of care across Women's and Children's services and the ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams.
  • Experience supporting resident education, physician learners, students, or academic practice models preferred.
  • Experience with quality improvement initiatives, patient safety programs, staff development, and operational leadership within an acute care setting.
  • Exposure to obstetric, neonatal, pediatric, and/or family-centered care environments preferred.
  • Experience working within a highly matrixed organization or large healthcare system preferred.

Department Detail:

• Our Labor & Delivery service is a high volume, fast paced unit that includes Labor & Delivery, a combined Antepartum unit, three Obstetric Operating Rooms, and a three bay PACU. The department supports approximately 3,000 deliveries annually and is staffed by ~100 experienced RNs and support staff who provide comprehensive care across the perinatal continuum.
• Our interprofessional model includes Obstetricians, Certified Nurse Midwives, anesthesiology, neonatology, and an active resident physician program, fostering a highly collaborative and academic practice environment. The unit manages a wide range of clinical presentations—from low-risk births to high acuity obstetric emergencies—requiring strong clinical expertise, rapid decision making, and consistent interdisciplinary communication.
• The culture of the department emphasizes teamwork, evidence-based practice, patient safety, and family centered care, with a strong commitment to continuing education, simulation training, and quality improvement initiatives.
• Collaborate closely with obstetricians, midwives, anesthesiology, and residents in a dynamic academic environment.
• Lead and innovate simulation training, emergency preparedness, and evidence based obstetric practice initiatives.
• Enjoy strong leadership partnership, autonomy in program design, and the opportunity to shape onboarding, annual competencies, and ongoing professional development.
• Be part of a team that values professional growth, mentorship, and quality improvement in women's health services.

Purpose:

The Programmatic Nurse Specialist, a professional registered nurse, has the authority, responsibility and accountability for delivery of nursing care through the use of the nursing process. In collaboration with the health care team, the Programmatic Nurse Specialist applies expert clinical knowledge and skills to achieve quality patient outcomes.

Responsibilities:

• Develops and maintains productive working relationships internally and externally by building teams and relationships through mentoring and modeling uplifting and positive communication Extends trust by acknowledging the contributions of others; listens first, creates transparency in communications, confronts reality, and clarifies expectations. Conveys information and ideas clearly through a variety of media to individuals or groups in a manner that engages the audience and helps them understand and retain the message. Role models professional communication and encourages free exchange of ideas that serves as a catalyst for transformation. Perform related duties as required
• Receive feedback and direction constructively. Serve as a formal and informal mentor for new staff members and mentor new preceptors to be successful in their role. Serve as a resource/consultant for patients, nursing staff and other disciplines in area of specialty. Participate in self-review. Improve knowledge, skills and performance based on feedback or on self-identified developmental needs. Demonstrate a high level of initiative, work independently, and establish priorities to meet department and organizational goals. Participate in professional and community organizations. Supports educational needs assessments Present regionally and nationally in oral and written formats. Mentor's others in professional skill development (coaching, feedback, crucial conversations, etc.)
• Demonstrate awareness of the impact of behavior on the efficient functioning of the department and organization. Responsible for guiding staff nurses to understand how to develop a plan of care that includes mutual and established goals with patient/family Assesses the need for an implements system or process improvements. Acts as a change agent to design, facilitate, monitor and evaluate program improvement initiatives. As the expert clinician, is accountable and responsible for sharing that expertise with the nursing staff. Suggests and leads changes within the organization. Chairs service line or hospital-based committees. Participates in professional organizations. Takes a leading role in major hospital-wide projects. Assume responsibility for complex assignments and view problems as challenges. Chairs service line/hospital wide committees. Develops relationships with service/specialty physicians and other disciplines to promote and proactively instruct nursing personnel on newer therapies and procedures to enhance nursing care delivery. Leads healthcare team conferences
• Provides teaching and skill development to staff to ensure response to emergent situations and initiation of appropriate actions. Develops, coordinates and evaluates patient/family specialty education. Develops policy and practices relative to patient care and hospital related information. Assists staff members in their ability to work in a timely and efficient manner. Analyzes and disseminates current medical and nursing literature for utilization in the expansion and improvement of patient care outcomes. Seeks out appropriate healthcare team intervention. Communicates and rounds with interdisciplinary team to establish professional rapport and support plan of care
• Actively participates in department or practice-specific quality improvement efforts Assess the need for an implement an evidence-based system or process improvement to meet care delivery protocol outcomes. Works collaboratively with medical team to develop evidence-based care delivery models and protocols. Identifies opportunity for quality improvement to colleagues and management Utilizes research and evidence-based practice to support improvement in clinical care: identifies research issues or articles related to clinical specialty or areas of interest. Facilitates/mentors' staff for projects/EBP/research activities Promotes best practice dissemination (presentations, publications, etc.)Participate in department-based Performance Improvement projects
• Utilize nursing process in teaching staff how to manage the care of patients including assessment, interdisciplinary planning, implementation, evaluation of patient care, teaching and discharge planning. Develops standards of nursing care and educates nursing staff on standards Collaborates with physician and care team to ensure quality patient care for patients across the service line/population. Through service line/specialty population, monitor and evaluate length of staff, readmission, return to ICU and system processes and throughput to improve patient outcomes and satisfaction. Models excellence in practice by acting as a facilitator and innovator for state-of-the art patient care. Collaborates with interdisciplinary team to ensure the appropriate use of care delivery protocols. Serves as a resource to nursing staff, faculty, students and other health care personnel in the acquisition of knowledge and skills related to patient care within specialty/population