NICU Nurse Educator/Program Manager

Overview

At Houston Methodist, the Professional Practice Leader position serves as a consultant and subject matter clinician for a service line/specialty area, functioning at the Expert level of Benner's model of clinical practice. The Professional Practice Leader position provides education and development to the direct patient care staff in addition to being accountable for the care outcomes of a service line or clinical population. This position leads and coordinates interprofessional activities focusing on clinical practice, consultation, education and research, incorporating evidence into practice. The Professional Practice Leader position uses expert communication skills to serve as care advocate and to mentor and coach staff in clinical and professional practice. This position assumes an advanced leadership role in analyzing systems to anticipate/reduce risk and improve patient safety/quality. Responsibilities for the Professional Practice Leader position include contributions at the unit and housewide levels, with expectation to collaborate/manage/lead on system-wide and national initiatives.

 

This will be a dual role position combining NICU Unit Education and the Maternal Program Manager. The Professional Practice Leader functions at the expert level of Benner’s model, serving as a subject matter consultant and educator responsible for staff development, care outcomes, and the integration of evidence-based practice in the NICU. The Maternal Program Manager role holds authority and accountability—alongside hospital leadership and the Neonatal Medical Director—for the design, implementation, and evaluation of neonatal program, ensuring quality, safety, and efficiency. The NPM is a clinically active registered nurse who also mentors staff and liaises with internal and external stakeholders, including regulatory bodies and the QAPI program.

Houston Methodist Standard

PATIENT AGE GROUP(S) AND POPULATION(S) SERVEDRefer to departmental "Scope of Service" and "Provision of Care" plans, as applicable, for description of primary age groups and populations served by this job for the respective HM entity.

HOUSTON METHODIST EXPERIENCE EXPECTATIONS

• Provide personalized care and service by consistently demonstrating our I CARE values:
  • INTEGRITY: We are honest and ethical in all we say and do.
  • COMPASSION: We embrace the whole person including emotional, ethical, physical, and spiritual needs.
  • ACCOUNTABILITY: We hold ourselves accountable for all our actions.
  • RESPECT: We treat every individual as a person of worth, dignity, and value.
  • EXCELLENCE: We strive to be the best at what we do and a model for others to emulate.

• Practices the Caring and Serving Model

• Delivers personalized service using HM Service Standards

• Provides for exceptional patient/customer experiences by following our Standards of Practice of always using Positive Language (AIDET, Managing Up, Key Words)

• Intentionally collaborates with other healthcare professionals involved in patients/customers or employees' experiential journeys to ensure strong communication, ease of access to information, and a seamless experience

• Involves patients (customers) in shift/handoff reports by enabling their participation in their plan of care as applicable to the given job

• Actively supports the organization's vision, fulfills the mission and abides by the I CARE values

Responsibilities

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Promotes interprofessional collaboration in patient care, providing leadership to maintain a supportive and healthy work environment. Partners with department leadership to define priorities of service line/specialty department. Builds partnerships across the system and strives for consensus in practice.

• Partners in collaboration with leadership of the service lines/specialty areas to promote staff accountability and effective decision-making, which includes coaching to provide feedback in an effective way. Empowers nurses to seek feedback from peers, informally or through established preceptor or mentor relationships. Leads interprofessional teams to achieve organizational goals through involvement in shared governance

• Consults, as the subject matter expert, and guides clinicians to available resources and policies on standards of care for their service line and/or across departments. Coaches clinicians, utilizing effective communication techniques, in strategies to improve practice and patient outcomes or changes in practice.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Indirectly affects patient care through the bedside RN as their focus is on developing and ensuring t