Nursing Quality Specialist - F/T Days

Hackensack Meridian Health•Neptune Township, NJ

About The Position

Our team members are the heart of what makes us better. At Hackensack Meridian Health we help our patients live better, healthier lives — and we help one another to succeed. With a culture rooted in connection and collaboration, our employees are team members. Here, competitive benefits are just the beginning. It’s also about how we support one another and how we show up for our community. Together, we keep getting better - advancing our mission to transform healthcare and serve as a leader of positive change. We invite you to listen to a message from our CNO who shares what it's like to be part of Team HMH at Jersey Shore University Medical Center: The Nursing Quality Specialist at Hackensack Meridian Health is a highly visible, hands-on role focused on translating quality and safety data into direct, "at-the-elbow" support for our bedside nursing teams. The primary goal is to elevate clinical practice and improve patient outcomes and experience by implementing and sustaining evidence-based strategies to prevent pressure ulcers, hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), falls, falls with injury, and other hospital-acquired conditions. The Nursing Quality Specialist champions a culture of safety and continuous improvement by analyzing nurse-sensitive indicator data to identify trends and opportunities. Working shoulder-to-shoulder with nurses the specialist will use this data to model, teach, and embed best practices into daily work. Through this focus on standardizing processes and collaborative problem-solving, the specialist will help nurses strengthen their critical thinking and clinical skills related to proactive harm prevention. At-the-Elbow Coaching and Mentorship (60-65% of time): Provide a consistent, visible presence on patient care units, engaging directly with nurses during their shifts. Facilitate brief, unit-based huddles to discuss recent trends, celebrate successes, and collaboratively problem-solve challenges. Conduct collaborative patient rounds with bedside nurses to identify risks for pressure ulcers, falls, and infections. Offer real-time, constructive feedback and "just-in-time" teaching on clinical skills such as but not limited to skin assessments, proper use of fall prevention equipment, and adherence to infection control bundles and other standardized harm prevention protocols. Model expert practice by demonstrating advanced assessment techniques and evidence-based interventions tied to specific quality metrics and harm prevention goals at the bedside. Serve as a coach, resource and mentor, helping nurses think critically through complex patient situations and develop effective, individualized care plans by applying data-informed insights and standardized best practices. Collects and evaluates patient care data relative to the issues and identified trends, investigates safety events and conducts performance review activities like records review, focused studies, apparent/root cause analysis (ACA/RCA) and works collaboratively with clinical nurses and nurse leaders in addressing practice gaps. Foster a supportive, non-judgmental learning environment where nurses feel comfortable asking questions and seeking guidance. Collaborate with unit and organization nurse leaders in monitoring and evaluating nursing standards of practice, policies, procedures, protocols and guidelines at the bedside to determine compliance and gaps. Facilitation of Nurse-Led Quality Improvement (25-30% of time): Analyze organizational and unit-specific nurse-sensitive indicator (NSI) data (example: falls, pressure ulcers, and HAIs) using trends and internal/external benchmarks and translate into actionable information for the bedside team. Assist in planning, coordination, implementation, and evaluation of organization’s and/or unit’s performance improvement projects, partner with nurses in identifying sustainability of implemented improvement measures and evaluation of outcomes. Empower and guide bedside nurses in developing and testing their own ideas for improvement using Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles or other performance improvement strategies. Routinely explore options and needs to develop and implement performance improvement projects and monitor activities in response to identified issues, internal/external standards, or other anticipated needs. Monitor, analyze and prepare all nurse sensitive indicators and other quality data at the unit and organizational-level for data sharing. Collaborate with the Director of Nursing Quality in evaluating all nursing performance improvement activities to assure continuous improvement or implement corrective actions as necessary. Attend routine nursing quality meetings and serve as facilitator for JSUMC Quality day. Act as a resource for nurses participating in the clinical ladder program who are required to engage in a quality improvement project. Help remove barriers to practice change by working with interdisciplinary teams and leadership. Specialty quality related projects and other duties and/or projects as assigned. Evidence-Based Practice and Resource Development (10% of time): Stay current on the latest evidence and best practices for preventing patient harm. Assist in developing and promoting easy-to-use clinical resources, checklists, and patient education materials that support best practices. Collaborate with the nursing education department to ensure formal training aligns with the practical, real-world needs of the bedside nurse. Adhere to HMH Organizational competencies and standards of behavior. Key Collaborative Relationships: Partners with the Assistant Nurse Manager (ANM) to identify unit-specific trends, support staff education on quality goals, and integrate performance improvement projects into daily operations. The NQS serves as the quality subject matter expert, while the ANM provides the operational leadership and staff accountability. Collaborates with the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) to address complex clinical conditions that may contribute to quality outcome data. The CNS provides advanced clinical expertise on individual patient needs, while the NQS focuses on the reliability of care processes for the broader patient population. Supports Bedside Nurses by making data meaningful, simplifying the application of evidence-based practices, and empowering them to lead improvements in patient safety.

Requirements

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with a focus on Nursing Education, Clinical Nurse Specialist, or Healthcare Quality required.
Minimum of five (5) years of recent clinical experience in an acute care hospital setting, with a reputation for clinical excellence.
Previous experience in quality/performance improvement project management.
Demonstrated experience in a formal or informal teaching/mentoring role (e.g., preceptor, clinical instructor, charge nurse).
Proven ability to build trusting, collaborative relationships with peers and physicians.
Expert-level clinical knowledge of prevention strategies for pressure ulcers, HAIs (especially CLABSI and CAUTI), and falls.
Understanding of NDNQI & NHSN data and ability to navigate for data access and download.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Proficient computer skills that include but are not limited to Google Suite and/or Microsoft Office platforms.
NJ State Professional Registered Nurse license.
At least one specialty nursing certification preferably in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) or Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS).

Nice To Haves

Speciality nursing certification Medical-Surgical Nursing (CMSRN), Critical Care (CCRN), or Wound Care (WOCN).

Responsibilities

Provide a consistent, visible presence on patient care units, engaging directly with nurses during their shifts.
Facilitate brief, unit-based huddles to discuss recent trends, celebrate successes, and collaboratively problem-solve challenges.
Conduct collaborative patient rounds with bedside nurses to identify risks for pressure ulcers, falls, and infections.
Offer real-time, constructive feedback and "just-in-time" teaching on clinical skills such as but not limited to skin assessments, proper use of fall prevention equipment, and adherence to infection control bundles and other standardized harm prevention protocols.
Model expert practice by demonstrating advanced assessment techniques and evidence-based interventions tied to specific quality metrics and harm prevention goals at the bedside.
Serve as a coach, resource and mentor, helping nurses think critically through complex patient situations and develop effective, individualized care plans by applying data-informed insights and standardized best practices.
Collects and evaluates patient care data relative to the issues and identified trends, investigates safety events and conducts performance review activities like records review, focused studies, apparent/root cause analysis (ACA/RCA) and works collaboratively with clinical nurses and nurse leaders in addressing practice gaps.
Foster a supportive, non-judgmental learning environment where nurses feel comfortable asking questions and seeking guidance.
Collaborate with unit and organization nurse leaders in monitoring and evaluating nursing standards of practice, policies, procedures, protocols and guidelines at the bedside to determine compliance and gaps.
Analyze organizational and unit-specific nurse-sensitive indicator (NSI) data (example: falls, pressure ulcers, and HAIs) using trends and internal/external benchmarks and translate into actionable information for the bedside team.
Assist in planning, coordination, implementation, and evaluation of organization’s and/or unit’s performance improvement projects, partner with nurses in identifying sustainability of implemented improvement measures and evaluation of outcomes.
Empower and guide bedside nurses in developing and testing their own ideas for improvement using Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles or other performance improvement strategies.
Routinely explore options and needs to develop and implement performance improvement projects and monitor activities in response to identified issues, internal/external standards, or other anticipated needs.
Monitor, analyze and prepare all nurse sensitive indicators and other quality data at the unit and organizational-level for data sharing.
Collaborate with the Director of Nursing Quality in evaluating all nursing performance improvement activities to assure continuous improvement or implement corrective actions as necessary.
Attend routine nursing quality meetings and serve as facilitator for JSUMC Quality day.
Act as a resource for nurses participating in the clinical ladder program who are required to engage in a quality improvement project.
Help remove barriers to practice change by working with interdisciplinary teams and leadership.
Specialty quality related projects and other duties and/or projects as assigned.
Stay current on the latest evidence and best practices for preventing patient harm.
Assist in developing and promoting easy-to-use clinical resources, checklists, and patient education materials that support best practices.
Collaborate with the nursing education department to ensure formal training aligns with the practical, real-world needs of the bedside nurse.
Adhere to HMH Organizational competencies and standards of behavior.