Clinical Nurse Specialist, Full-Time Days

UChicago Medicine • Chicago, IL

4d • $134,190 - $156,555

About The Position

UChicago Medicine is seeking a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) for its Nursing Administration department. The CNS is a master’s- or doctorate-prepared Advanced Practice Nurse with Illinois APRN licensure and certification in a nursing specialty. The role combines expert clinical practice with education, consultation, research, mentorship, patient advocacy, leadership, change management, and cost-effective practice.

Working in collaboration with medical, nursing, and multidisciplinary staff, the CNS provides clinical support to improve patient care, engagement, and outcomes. The CNS advances professional nursing practice by developing, coaching, and mentoring nurses to become expert clinicians and leaders. The position also contributes to clinical standards, protocols, staff education, quality improvement, evidence-based practice, research, and the development of effective patient-care models.

The position is full-time at 1.0 FTE on the day shift in Nursing Administration. The role is non-union. Employment is contingent on completing a pre-employment physical, background check, and drug screening, and complying with flu vaccination requirements; medical and religious exemptions will be considered as permitted by law.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in nursing from an accredited program.
• Application for Credentialing.
• Application for Privileges and Delineation of Privileges, as applicable.

Nice To Haves

• DNP or PhD preferred.
• Three to five years of experience in a clinical specialty area.
• Previous experience in an advanced practice role preferred.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to assess health status, provide nursing care, and develop and implement care plans for patients and families with complex or unique needs.
• Identify ethical issues in practice and increase staff awareness of their implications for ethical decision-making.
• Model and mentor behaviors that promote excellence in patient care, ethical decision-making, and patient advocacy.
• Integrate national care standards, best practices, and benchmarking data into policies, procedures, guidelines, protocols, and clinical competencies.
• Work with patients, families, and multidisciplinary teams to develop, implement, and evaluate patient education based on individual learning needs.
• Collaborate with leadership to develop contemporary, cost-effective patient-care models.
• Identify expected clinical nursing practice outcomes, recommend care and operational processes to achieve them, and oversee outcomes assessment initiatives.
• Collaborate on patient-care protocols addressing the physical, psychosocial, and developmental needs of neonatal, pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients; educate staff on protocol use and evaluate effectiveness in nursing practice.
• Demonstrate leadership in operationalizing the medical center’s nursing mission, vision, and philosophy.
• Recommend practice changes and protocols to support compliance with licensing, regulatory, and accrediting standards and requirements.
• Influence the development of and compliance with medical center policies, procedures, and protocols.
• Model, teach, and mentor professional nurses in their practice and accountability within the healthcare team.
• Initiate or participate in multidisciplinary programs addressing patient-care issues and positive clinical outcomes.
• Consult with leadership to optimize resource use and patient-care delivery, and demonstrate creative problem-solving.
• Use innovative approaches to model, teach, coach, and mentor nursing staff.
• Enhance staff competence through clinical consultation and education in the CNS’s area of expertise.
• Assess staff learning needs and initiate learning opportunities such as Nursing Grand Rounds, Journal Club, and conferences.
• Assess care team members’ ability to provide patient education and support staff development in patient education and engagement.
• Evaluate team members’ ability to apply learning in nursing practice, with a focus on high-quality, safe care.
• Recommend core competencies, minimum credentials, and certifications for nursing practice in specific areas.
• Encourage and promote staff participation in professional organizations and activities.
• Collaborate with hospital and unit leaders to develop and monitor standards of care and quality indicators based on Hospital CQI data.
• Develop and implement patient-focused CQI tools to assess and evaluate patient outcomes.
• Communicate relevant research, evidence-based practice findings, and CQI data to staff.
• Promote use of research, evidence-based practice findings, and CQI data by recommending changes to policies, procedures, protocols, and practice, and implementing evidence-based findings in clinical practice.
• Mentor healthcare providers in using and evaluating research findings and CQI data to develop, recommend, and implement best practices.
• Participate in independent or collaborative research opportunities as applicable.
• Participate in the UCM Nursing and Evidence-Based Practice Research Committee by reviewing research protocols as appropriate.
• Consult with the leadership group on management issues as requested.
• Consult with patients and multidisciplinary teams to make expert clinical recommendations and appropriate referrals in developing treatment plans.
• Consult in the area of clinical expertise to facilitate intra- and interdisciplinary best practice.
• Consult with care team members to recommend solutions that address their learning needs and tailor care delivery to the diverse needs and strengths of staff, patients, and families.
• Consult with professional and lay personnel within the hospitals and community.
• Maintain advanced practice certification and licensure requirements.
• Advance healthcare-community knowledge and nursing practice through presentations, publications, and professional organization involvement.
• Collaborate with the clinical peer group to coordinate education, establish care standards, and develop strategies to improve professional clinical practice.
• Promote the CNS role and scope of practice at local, state, national, and/or international levels.
• Perform other duties as requested.

Benefits

• UChicago Medicine directs applicants to its benefits page for the full complement of benefit options available to eligible roles; specific benefits are not listed in the posting.

What This Job Offers

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