Clinical Nurse Improvement Coach - Pediatric Neonatology (50%25)

University of Iowa•Iowa City, IA

11d

About The Position

This part-time, 50% FTE position is housed within Pediatrics Neonatology and serves as a neonatal nurse consultant to nurses and providers throughout Iowa as part of the Statewide Perinatal Care Team. The role conducts statewide neonatal case reviews, visits Iowa birthing hospitals in person and occasionally virtually, and develops and presents educational programs on neonatal topics. In partnership with the neonatal physician consultant, the position reviews adverse neonatal outcomes to assess alignment with national, state, and facility standards, with emphasis on resuscitation and stabilization, neonatal transport, and normal-newborn standards of practice that affect outcomes. The role identifies systems-level improvement opportunities and provides education based on chart-review findings, including written summaries and supporting reference materials. The position provides expert consultation and technical assistance on evidence-based neonatal care, regulatory requirements, clinical standards, staff education, and best-practice implementation. It supports hospitals in developing and operationalizing neonatal policies, procedures, protocols, competency frameworks, and quality and safety initiatives, including statewide initiatives delivered by the IPQCC. It also assesses education needs, coaches clinical teams, delivers continuing education and requested lectures, and maintains and teaches Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) and S.T.A.B.L.E. courses. The role collaborates with health care professionals within UI Health Care and across Iowa, maintains current neonatal educational resources and professional knowledge, participates in regional and national meetings, and helps plan the annual Iowa Conference on Perinatal Medicine. It provides statewide nursing leadership for neonatal level-of-care verification by guiding hospitals through preparation, reviewing facility documentation, and conducting onsite verification visits.

Requirements

Master's degree in nursing or equivalent.
Current license to practice nursing in Iowa.
Demonstrated expertise in neonatal nursing.
Ability to travel throughout Iowa for hospital visits.
Nursing leadership experience, such as unit manager, educator, or equivalent.
Experience leading quality improvement initiatives.
Maintain nursing competencies required by Children and Women’s Services at UI Health Care, including BLS certification.
Maintain instructor status for the Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) and S.T.A.B.L.E. course.

Nice To Haves

Five or more years of clinical experience in neonatal nursing, with emphasis on tertiary neonatal intensive care.
Experience teaching in a clinical setting.
Experience and comfort with classroom teaching and/or public speaking.

Responsibilities

Perform statewide neonatal case reviews.
Visit Iowa birthing hospitals in person and occasionally virtually with the perinatal team.
Conduct comprehensive reviews of adverse neonatal outcomes with the neonatal physician consultant, evaluating alignment with national, state, and facility standards.
Identify systems-level opportunities for care improvement.
Develop and provide educational programs based on chart-review findings, current neonatal nursing standards, care-improvement suggestions, and supporting documentation.
Provide written summaries of the neonatal nursing components of educational programs and relevant reference materials.
Serve as the state's neonatal nursing clinical practice consultant and provide expert consultation and technical assistance to hospital leaders, clinicians, and multidisciplinary teams.
Review professional literature and maintain an up-to-date reference file on neonatal topics.
Maintain educational materials and identify and review new professional and patient education resources.
Collaborate with nursing staff and other health care professionals within UI Health Care and across Iowa to develop and review newborn standards of care.
Attend regional and national neonatal meetings and communicate relevant information to health care providers.
Participate in planning and developing the annual Iowa Conference on Perinatal Medicine.
Maintain nursing competencies required by Children and Women’s Services at UI Health Care, including BLS certification.
Seek opportunities to enhance professional knowledge, skills, and abilities for the current position, future roles, and career development.
Maintain membership in national organizations such as NANN/IANN to influence patient-care decisions.
Maintain instructor status for NRP and S.T.A.B.L.E. and deliver courses to Iowa birthing hospital staff when requested and schedule permits.
Support implementation of evidence-based neonatal care standards and continuous quality improvement.
Assist hospitals in identifying improvement areas and developing, revising, and operationalizing neonatal clinical policies, procedures, protocols, and competency frameworks.
Provide virtual, in-person, and email consultations to Iowa birthing hospital staff on institutional quality and safety activities, including statewide QI initiatives delivered by the IPQCC.
Assess educational needs and provide coaching and continuing education to nurses and perinatal care teams.
Present formal lectures on neonatal nursing topics when requested.
Guide hospitals through preparation for and the process of neonatal level-of-care verification.
Review documents from Iowa perinatal facilities to evaluate and determine neonatal levels-of-care designations.
Conduct onsite verification of Iowa perinatal facilities for neonatal levels-of-care designation.