Clinical Practice Nurse Expert - Surgical Services

The Clinical Practice Expert I (CPNE I) reports to the Unit Manager.  In collaboration with the Unit Manager, the CPNE I is responsible for clinical practice on their respected unit(s). The CPNE I function as a member of a multi-disciplinary, unit-based team to provide nursing expertise for a defined microsystem. This position assists in developing quality care initiatives to improve patient outcomes and patient safety.  This role recognizes practice opportunities and works with the interprofessional team to help remove barriers and begin to enhance evidenced based practice standards.  

Job Duties:

Clinical Practice/Quality:

• Assess clinical practice on their respected unit(s) through rounding, observation and staffing.
• Collaborate with ICCE stakeholders and unit leadership to align quality initiatives with health system goals.
• Use performance measures to identify and assess the delivery of evidence-based practices and promote outcomes that demonstrate delivery of higher-value care.
• Partner with Nurse Manager/Director to develop strategies to promote quality outcomes within unit.
• Use evidence to design and direct system improvements that address trends in safety and quality.
• With Nurse Manager/Director, implement quality improvement strategies based on current evidence, analytics, and risk anticipation.
• Partner with Quality and Safety to apply just culture principles and the use of safety tools, such as Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA) and root cause analysis (RCA), to anticipate, intervene and decrease risk.
• Assess patient handoffs and transitions of care to improve outcomes.
• Assess medication reconciliation and administration processes, to enhance the safe use of medications across the continuum of care.
• Use a variety of datasets, such as Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS), nurse sensitive indicators, National Data Nursing Quality Improvement (NDNQI), and population registries, appropriate for the patient population, setting, and organization to assess individual and population risks and care outcomes.
• Use information technology, analytics, and evaluation methods to: collect or access appropriate and accurate data to generate evidence for nursing practice. provide input in the design of databases that generate meaningful evidence for practice. collaborate to analyze data from practice and system performance. identify evidence-based interventions in collaboration with the health professional team. examine patterns of behavior and outcomes. identify gaps in evidence for practice. investigate best practice, research current literature to enhance innovative ways to care for patient population; and participate in specialty national organization and encourage membership

Competency Management:

• Identify top talent, coach, and develop clinical skill set
• Performs as and identifies/trains additional skills validators on the unit
• Identify population-based needs, practice changes and monitor performance
• Collaborate with interprofessional team to provide additional remediation plan for clinical staff who demonstrate practice deficiencies

Education:

• Provides content expertise for live and online organizational programs as needed based on clinical expertise, knowledge, and skills.
• Provides “just in time” teaching to enhance practice.
• Promotes the development of critical thinking and nursing judgement in collaboration the care team to address practice issues.
• Identify potential preceptors with nursing leadership team
• Partner with Nursing Education staff on facility wide education initiatives and clinical requirements.  Will ensure that assigned staff maintain current AHA certifications as required.   Will provide unit-based education in collaboration with Nursing Inservice staff.
• Perform chart reviews/audits to ensure compliance with evidence-based nursing practice.

Role development:

• Exhibit strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrate coaching skills to support new and current clinical ladder candidates to improving clinical care processes and outcomes.
• Collaborate with shared governance and leadership team to increase specialty certification throughout units to meet unit certification goals.
• Use data to analyze practice opportunities.
• Quality improvement leader utilizing appropriate tools to address the identified need.
• Leadership and development of staff nurse to develop expert Practitioners.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in nursing required, master’s degree preferred.
• Two years of clinical experience in area of expertise required.
• Excellent collaboration and consultation skills required.  
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills required.

Licensure/Certifications:

Current South Carolina licensure as a registered nurse or compact state required. Current Basic Life Support (BLS) required, either a certification from an American Heart Association (AHA) BLS for Healthcare Providers (or AHA recognized equivalent) or an American Red Cross CPR/AED for Professional Rescuer and Healthcare Provider.  Advance Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Life Support (PALS) as required based on assigned unit.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Basic computer knowledge including Microsoft Office.
• Familiar with quality improvement methodology.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced certification in a specialized field.

Physical Requirements

Physical requirements are primarily related to the essential functions of any job. In order to perform the essential functions of this position, you must be able to stand up to twelve (12) hours, walk, sit, use hands, reach, stoop, kneel, talk, hear and smell.  Must be able to lift or exert energy up to 35 pounds. MUSC has purchased patient transfer/lift devices to reduce the physical lifting of patients. Safe patient handling equipment is to be utilized for the transfer and lifting of patients greater than 35 pounds.

Close vision (clear vision at 20 inches or less), distance vision (clear vision at 20 feet or more) color vision (ability to identify and distinguish colors), peripheral vision (ability to observe area that can be seen move up/down or left/right) and depth perception (three-dimensional vision, ability to judge distances).