Clinical Nurse Leader – Bedside Care & Outcomes (CMC Tower Expansion)

Advocate Health and Hospitals Corporation • Charlotte, NC

1d

About The Position

The Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) is a master’s-prepared registered nurse and advanced nursing generalist who serves as a point-of-care clinical leader for a defined patient cohort in an inpatient, emergency, procedural, or other clinical microsystem. Embedded in the care environment, the CNL supports safe, evidence-based, patient-centered care through focused assessments, real-time surveillance, bedside intervention, interdisciplinary coordination, patient and family education, and coaching of nursing teammates.

The CNL uses patient- and unit-level data to identify risk, anticipate needs, reduce care fragmentation, escalate concerns, and improve outcomes including hospital-acquired conditions, length of stay, readmissions, discharge readiness, patient experience, and documentation reliability. The position supports implementation of clinical standards, quality improvement, professional governance, and reliable bedside workflows.

This is a full-time, benefits-eligible role in the Carolinas Medical Center Stroke Program. The schedule is days, 7 a.m.–3 p.m., 40 hours per week. The listed pay range is $41.10–$61.65.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Nursing.
• Graduation from an accredited Clinical Nurse Leader program, as required to sit for the CNL certification exam.
• Current RN license in the state of practice.
• Basic Life Support certification as required by policy.
• Clinical Nurse Leader certification through the Commission on Nurse Certification/AACN, or obtain it within an approved timeframe if the role is posted as a CNL position.
• Clinical registered nursing experience in the patient population or care setting served.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating care for complex patients, leading clinical quality or safety work, using electronic health record data, and coaching nursing teammates.
• Advanced clinical assessment and critical-thinking skills, including ability to identify deterioration and escalate concerns.
• Ability to coordinate care across interprofessional teams.
• Knowledge of evidence-based nursing practice, quality improvement, patient safety, nurse-sensitive indicators, dashboards and audits, and clinical documentation standards.
• Effective coaching, facilitation, patient and family education, and communication skills.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced clinical setting while collaborating with bedside teammates and leaders.
• Ability to meet physical demands including frequent walking, standing, sitting, reaching, stooping, bending, pushing, pulling, and lifting; support weight consistent with patient care and equipment requirements, including up to 35 pounds or as defined by departmental standards.
• Intact hearing, vision, smell, finger dexterity, critical thinking, concentration, and ability to communicate effectively in English.
• Additional specialty certification may be required by department or patient population.

Nice To Haves

• Doctor of Nursing Practice, additional graduate nursing coursework, or formal quality/safety education.
• Experience as a CNL, clinical nurse educator, clinical nurse specialist partner, charge nurse, quality/safety champion, professional governance leader, or unit-based clinical improvement lead.
• CNL certification, specialty nursing certification relevant to the clinical population, Lean or quality-improvement training, or other patient-safety credentials.
• Experience with clinical dashboards, RedCap or similar audit tools, EMR reporting, ERAS or other clinical pathways, HAPI/falls/CAUTI/CLABSI prevention, patient throughput, Hospital at Home referral processes, patient engagement tools, and clinical spread/adoption work.

Responsibilities

• Provide bedside clinical leadership for a defined patient cohort through rounding, focused assessment, chart review, patient and family interaction, and communication with care team members.
• Provide direct or indirect patient care support within RN scope to maintain patient safety and care progression.
• Conduct real-time clinical surveillance; identify changes in condition, safety risks, care delays, treatment gaps, practice deviations, and deterioration concerns; escalate and assist with timely interventions, follow-up, and documentation.
• Lead or participate in multidisciplinary rounds, huddles, throughput discussions, bedside touchpoints, evidence-based practice implementation, and discharge planning.
• Align physicians, nurses, HCTs/nursing assistants, pharmacists, therapists, case management, social work, and other stakeholders around patient-specific goals and barriers.
• Support implementation and monitoring of evidence-based protocols and standards, including mobility and turning, fall and pressure-injury prevention, CAUTI/CLABSI prevention, CHG bathing, ERAS, delirium mitigation, telemetry stewardship, sepsis and chronic disease management, education, and postoperative recovery expectations.
• Review dashboards, reports, audits, nurse-sensitive indicators, safety events, documentation trends, and patient outcomes; translate findings into feedback, education, countermeasures, and sustainable process improvements.
• Coach and mentor RNs, HCTs/nursing assistants, and other teammates at the bedside on clinical judgment, standards, evidence-based care, documentation, escalation, patient education, and safety practices.
• Support onboarding, competency validation, and professional development connected to clinical practice.
• Engage patients and families by clarifying care plans, reinforcing health-literate education and teach-back, supporting MyChart or other engagement tools, addressing care-progression barriers, and coordinating appropriate transition services.
• Participate in professional governance, unit-based councils, quality improvement, nursing excellence, Magnet-related evidence gathering, and dissemination of effective workflows.
• Create or adapt tools, checklists, huddle boards, audit processes, and education resources to support reliable bedside practice.

Benefits

• Paid Time Off programs
• Medical, dental, vision, life, and short- and long-term disability benefits
• Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses
• Adoption assistance and paid parental leave
• Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match
• Financial wellness programs
• Educational Assistance Program
• Competitive compensation, premium pay where applicable, incentive pay for select positions, and opportunity for annual performance-based increases

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level