SON Clinical Instructor/Professional Nurse (RN) - School of Nursing (Harrisburg)

UPMC•Harrisburg, PA

About The Position

This is a full-time, 36-hour-per-week hourly dual-role position combining work in a School of Nursing and on a hospital unit. The standard weekly schedule includes three 8-hour days in the School of Nursing and one 12-hour day on the hospital unit. Due to the academic calendar, the School of Nursing may sometimes need fewer hours; in that case, employees who do not wish to use PTO are expected to supplement their schedule by working all or additional hours on the hospital unit. The Professional Nurse/Clinical Instructor demonstrates commitment to the community and nursing profession through leadership, partnership, collaboration, and supervision with unit members, faculty, students, and patients. As a Clinical Instructor, the registered nurse is responsible and accountable for clinical instruction, guiding and evaluating nursing students as they provide patient care during clinical practicum. As a practicing Professional Nurse, the individual serves on the care delivery team, sets standards for care quality, and manages and provides patient care through independent judgment, communication, and collaboration. The position serves as a role model and recognized unit leader, supports student learning through instruction, mentoring, feedback, and evaluation, and applies evidence-based practice and the nursing process in both clinical teaching and patient care. The instructor builds positive relationships, supports a healthy and culturally respectful workplace, and contributes to quality improvement and the goals of the school and parent organization. Appointment and continued retention are contingent on approval by the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing.

Requirements

At least 2 years of clinical experience.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
Currently enrolled in a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program with a 3-year completion plan.
Precepting experience.
Current Pennsylvania licensure as a Registered Professional Nurse, or a multistate license issued by a participating Nursing Licensure Compact state when applicable.
BLS for Health Care Providers or CPR certification; CPR must meet AHA standards, including didactic instruction and skills demonstration, within 30 days of hire.
Act 33, Act 34, and Act 73 (FBI) clearances, with renewals as required.
Ability to establish and maintain positive, caring relationships with executives, managers, physicians, non-physician providers, ancillary and support staff, other departments, and patients and families.
Ability to work productively and effectively in a complex environment and handle multiple or changing priorities and specialized equipment.
Exemplary clinical judgment, critical thinking, analytical, and problem-solving abilities related to patient care.
Critical thinking skills to apply and lead others in applying the nursing process.
Mobility and visual-manual dexterity.
Physical stamina for frequent walking, standing, lifting, and positioning of patients.
Knowledge and skills to assess patient status, interpret patient information, and provide care appropriate to patients’ age-specific needs.
Appointment and retention are contingent upon approval by the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing.

Nice To Haves

Clinical teaching experience in a prelicensure program.

Responsibilities

Serve as a professional nursing role model and recognized unit leader in areas such as clinical expertise, teaching, specialized nursing resources, or evidence-based practice.
Provide appropriate feedback to health care team members and participate in the nursing peer review process.
Promote changes that improve patient care quality and the unit environment; serve on teams and manage relationships with faculty members.
Demonstrate clinical assessment and analytical skills within Relationship Based Care.
Develop and use creative teaching and learning strategies during conferences and on the clinical unit.
Use information technology to support the teaching and learning process.
Mentor learners and share knowledge; provide quality clinical instruction using teaching concepts that reflect nursing education best practices.
Provide timely, thoughtful, constructive feedback and evaluations to learners.
Build and maintain positive, caring relationships with students, faculty, management, patients and families, and other health care team members.
Create meaningful clinical learning assignments based on student needs and use critical thinking to guide students in applying the nursing process.
Apply the nursing process and Relationship Based Care to provide holistic patient care and create a healing environment.
Set daily patient goals and plans of care that involve patients as partners and reflect their individual needs.
Communicate and document patient conditions and care comprehensively; collaborate with other care providers and recommend changes to patient care and unit practices as appropriate.
Identify clinical, social, safety, psychological, and spiritual issues relevant to patient care and teaching.
Review and improve own clinical instruction and nursing practice using constructive feedback; maintain clinical competence.
Precept students, graduate nurses, and new hires, and identify learning opportunities through analysis of clinical and behavioral situations.
Support continuous and lifelong learning by sharing research and professional resources, presenting on the unit, teaching students, and supporting journal clubs.
Identify clinical quality and workplace improvement opportunities, share project outcomes, and apply evidence-based practice and research to patient care and clinical teaching.
Participate in or lead teams that introduce patient-care innovations or support a healthy workforce; assess student performance to ensure evidence-based nursing practice.
Build and repair colleague relationships, model cultural awareness, and help prevent and address horizontal violence and impairment.
Prioritize and delegate responsibilities to maintain a balance between work and personal life.
Work cooperatively toward school goals in accordance with the parent organization’s mission and values, maintaining communication with health care team members.
Foster a learning environment based on trust, respect, professionalism, caring, dignity, and respect for diverse student needs.
Resolve and manage conflict effectively and in a timely manner; recognize and value differences among students, peers, patients, families, and communities.
Coach students on cultural diversity and civility in the educational environment.
Provide care and interact appropriately with patients across the age groups served by the assigned unit, applying lifespan growth and development knowledge and assessing age-specific needs.
Handle multiple and changing priorities and specialized equipment in a complex environment.
Maintain current required licensure, CPR/BLS certification, and clearances.