Nursing Practice Leader - Medical Surgical Services

University of Iowa Health Care Department of Nursing is seeking a Nursing Practice Leader to collaborate with administrators, nursing staff, and licensed independent practitioners (LIP) to provide expertise related to Medical Surgical Nursing. 

Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

Clinical Practice

• Assures clinical competency and expertise in area of own specialization and provides direct nursing care when necessary. Facilitates changes in nursing care based on systematic assessment and evaluation

• Functions independently and/or as a member of an interdisciplinary team to plan, deliver, or evaluate health care for a defined patient population

• Determines nursing care requirements and develops programs for a specific patient population, with regard to patient condition and age

• Provides leadership for direct patient care programs in area of specialization

• Collaborates with nursing staff/nursing administration to monitor and evaluate the quality of patient care

• Serves in a consultative resource capacity to staff by providing expert knowledge and role modeling behavioral skills that impact clinical practice and patient outcomes

• Promotes health maintenance that spans the continuum of health from outpatient to inpatient settings and back to the home care arena

• Provides advanced nursing care for individuals, families, groups, both within UI Health Care and community

• Provides anticipatory guidance and counseling to patients/families

Evidence Based Practice/Research

• Generates research questions regarding health care for particular patient populations

• Collaborates with staff/other departments/disciplines in planning and conducting research

• Initiates research to investigate clinical issues

• Assists staff to interpret research findings

• Provides leadership to incorporate research findings into practice

• Participates in development and implementation of divisional and departmental quality assessment/improvement/evidence based practice/research programs and processes

Education

• Participates in the development, utilization and evaluation of resources to meet patient/family educational needs

• Provides education and serves as a resource for nursing staff in area of clinical expertise

• Provides educational resources to all shifts based on comprehensive analysis of learning needs

• Formulates and reviews the staff education plan for the division annually

• Uses adult education principles and instructional design to provide an effective and efficient system of staff education

• Designs and implements a system for assuring initial and ongoing competency of staff

• Provides education to external agencies, community, and other health professionals

Professional Responsibilities

• Provides leadership for and participates in unit, divisional, departmental, and/or interdepartmental committees

• Serves as change agent on unit