Nursing Professional Development Specialist (NPDS) - Emergency Department
About The Position
ChristianaCare is seeking an experienced Nursing Professional Development Specialist (NPDS) to support its Emergency Department teams. The NPDS provides leadership and oversight for education, onboarding, professional development, and competency management for nursing staff and interprofessional team members. The role supports clinical excellence, role transition, evidence-based practice, and workforce readiness to promote safe, high-quality care and strong patient outcomes. The NPDS serves as a clinical educator, mentor, consultant, and change agent. The position primarily supports the Newark Emergency Department and collaborates with colleagues to provide educational support across Emergency Department settings, including Wilmington. It offers an opportunity to influence practice, professional growth, and patient care outcomes across the healthcare system.
Requirements
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
- Master's degree in Nursing or a related field, or current enrollment in an MSN/MS program with completion within three years.
- Hospital-based clinical and educational experience.
- Demonstrated involvement in performance improvement, regulatory compliance, educational program development and delivery, and interprofessional collaboration.
- One of the following specialty certifications: CEN (Certified Emergency Nurse), TCRN (Trauma Certified Registered Nurse), SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner), CCRN (Critical Care Registered Nurse), or CPEN (Certified Pediatric Emergency Nurse).
Nice To Haves
- Experience in emergency, trauma, critical care, or pediatric emergency practice.
- Skill in adult learning principles and curriculum design.
- Experience with evidence-based practice and quality initiatives.
- Ability to lead change and influence practice improvements.
- Strong communication and relationship-building skills across organizational levels.
- Commitment to developing others, professional growth, and nursing excellence.
Responsibilities
- Provide direction, oversight, and facilitation for Emergency Department nurse residency programs.
- Support and mentor new graduate nurses through transition-to-practice experiences.
- Coordinate and evaluate educational programming for three nurse residency cohorts annually.
- Design, implement, and evaluate competency-based educational programs.
- Develop individualized orientation plans to support onboarding and long-term retention.
- Identify learning needs through performance data, quality metrics, and practice gap analyses.
- Facilitate ongoing professional development opportunities for staff.
- Promote clinical inquiry and research utilization.
- Mentor nurses in quality improvement initiatives aligned with organizational priorities.
- Translate evidence into practice to improve patient and nursing outcomes.
- Measure educational effectiveness and continuously improve learning strategies.
- Partner with nursing leaders, physicians, educators, and interdisciplinary teams.
- Support Professional Governance and shared decision-making councils.
- Serve as a consultant and resource for practice change, role development, and succession planning.
- Champion organizational initiatives and standards, including Magnet principles, regulatory compliance, and patient safety.
- Provide educational support across Emergency Department locations, with occasional travel to Wilmington and Middletown and potential periodic travel to community-based practice settings throughout Delaware.
Benefits
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Retirement benefits
- Employee assistance program
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
