Quality and Patient Experience Leader Inpatient Respiratory Therapist / Respiratory Therapy

Children's Nebraska•Omaha, NE

67d•Onsite

About The Position

Local/department program leader for patient safety and quality initiatives that improve patient outcomes within a defined patient care area. Leads and implements patient experience improvement initiatives within a defined patient care area. Effectively partners with department leaders to determine improvement priorities that are in alignment with strategic goals. Engages clinical team members to fully engage in improvements that achieve high outcomes and works to ensure there are zero events of preventable harm. Develops and advances own expertise related to quality improvement, change management, high reliability, influence, and project management. Fully masters the organizational leadership competencies. This role is responsible for providing direct patient care.

Requirements

Associate's Degree from an accredited school of respiratory care Required
Bachelor's Degree from an accredited school of respiratory care or health related field Required
1-3 years respiratory experience including 1 year of experience in neonatal/pediatric respiratory care Required
Must be able to perform a variety of duties, often changing from one task to another of a different nature, without loss of efficiency or composure, and be able to perform under stressful conditions when confronted with multiple requests, demonstrating prioritizing skills.
Must have ability to work well with others.
Strong facilitator
Strong knowledge of performance improvement
Promotes teamwork, facilitates collaboration.
Ability to develop and execute departmental policies and procedures regarding security, safety, and traffic/parking.
Knowledge and use of personal computers is required.
Possess project management skills
Strong oral and written communication skills
RCP - Licensed Respiratory Care Practitioner State Licensure Upon Hire Required
CRT - Certified Respiratory Therapist Upon Hire Required
RRT - Registered Respiratory Therapist Upon Hire Required
RRT - Registered Respiratory Therapist Neonatal-Pediatric Specialist (RRT-NPS) Upon Hire Required
BLS - Basic Life Support through American Heart Association Upon Hire Required
PALS - Pediatric Advanced Life Support through American Heart Association within 180 Days Required
Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (NAHQ) within 2 Years Required or Certified Professional in Patient Safety within 2 Years Required

Nice To Haves

Master's Degree from an accredited school of respiratory care of health related field Preferred
Six Sigma Green Belt Preferred
Certified Patient Experience Professional Preferred

Responsibilities

Leads and promotes a culture of high reliability, quality, and safety within the department.
Utilizes evidence-based methodologies including Root Cause Analysis (RCA), Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), and Apparent Cause Analysis (ACA) to identify system-level opportunities and implement sustainable change.
Applies quality improvement tools and principles to reduce patient harm and promote excellent patient/family experiences.
Supports and sustains improvement activities by assigning clear accountability and monitoring action plan execution.
Collects, oversees, analyzes, and displays data using tools and techniques appropriate for the intended clinical or leadership audience.
Develops and maintains visual dashboards, scorecards, and key performance indicators (KPIs) to track safety and quality metrics.
Notifies leadership of out-of-range metrics and develops action plans to mitigate poor-performing areas.
Advises and/or seeks resources to determine effective measures and metrics for improvement initiatives.
Facilitates all levels of cause analysis and works with responsible staff to ensure completion of action items.
Develops and standardizes documentation templates for safety events.
Collaborates with the Quality and Patient Safety Department for formal RCA processes.
Supports HAC (Hospital-Acquired Condition) reporting, leads HAC action planning during departmental meetings, and ensures departmental participation in organization-wide HAC initiatives.
Provides both formal and just-in-time training on quality improvement and patient safety tactics to staff and leadership.
Orients, develops, and mentors respiratory therapists and team members involved in safety programs (e.g., Quality & Safety Leads in shared governance).
Supports the professional growth of team members through ongoing coaching and evaluation of applied knowledge in practice.
Documents orientation and development processes using skill checklists and performance tools.
Works with department leadership to develop a framework for collaborative, team-based approaches to improvement.
Partners with shared governance councils, nursing, respiratory therapy and physician leaders to promote and influence evidence-based practice changes.
Ensures integration of quality initiatives with broader clinical and operational goals, including clinical excellence and patient satisfaction.
Leads the development and team compliance with evidence-based bundles, such as SPS (Solutions for Patient Safety) tools, K-Cards, and other audits.
Works with department leadership to define and pursue annual patient experience goals.
Identifies, develops, and implements evidence-based, targeted strategies to improve patient satisfaction and engagement.
Conducts regular patient experience rounds, maintaining visibility, identifying opportunities, and reinforcing service excellence behaviors.
Serves as an influential expert on patient experience, providing insight and leadership on best practices in communication and service recovery.
Serves as a clinical role model, maintaining direct patient care responsibilities as needed to support departmental priorities.
Demonstrates high-level proficiency in respiratory care delivery; documentation reflects accurate assessments, interventions, outcomes, and patient responses.
Applies clinical expertise and educational knowledge to promote professional practice and quality outcomes.