Registered Nurse CICU-Safety Quality Specialist-Pending Certification

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia•Philadelphia, PA

6d•$101,300 - $129,100

About The Position

The RN CICU Safety Quality Specialist (SQS), pending certification, is a 0.6 FTE position with the ability to flex up to a desired FTE in patient care. The role serves as the local and departmental leader for patient safety and quality improvement initiatives intended to improve outcomes within a defined patient-care microsystem. The specialist applies the CHOP Improvement Framework, sustains and spreads improvements, and partners with nursing and medical leadership to set priorities aligned with organizational goals. The role develops effective working teams, encourages clinical-area engagement in improvement work, and advances expertise in quality improvement, change management, high reliability, influence, and project management. The hiring team prefers an RN with previous ICU or Cardiac Center experience. The specialist develops, implements, evaluates, and sustains a microsystem-based safety and quality program; coordinates action- and outcome-oriented improvement initiatives; serves as a change agent and resource to improvement teams; investigates near-miss and harmful events; and supports the structures and processes used for microsystem safety and quality work. This includes using data and project-planning methods, communicating progress and outcomes, facilitating meetings, and helping ensure practice changes are sustained. Employees working in patient-care buildings or with patient-facing responsibilities must receive an annual influenza vaccine as a condition of employment.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in a healthcare field of study.
At least two years of clinical knowledge, skills, and experience in the area or portfolio of interest in a complex healthcare setting.
At least two years of clinical work experience in a complex healthcare setting.
Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
Ability to work independently and take initiative.
Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
Teaching and presentation skills.
Ability to exemplify foundational CHOP ICARE values and Safety Behaviors for Error Prevention.
Ability to function in a project manager role.
Ability to hold others accountable in partnership with management.
Within 30 months, obtain either Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) through NAHQ or Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB) through an industry-standard organization or accredited college/university.
Upon hire, hold one of the listed credentials: Pennsylvania Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Licensed Pharmacist, Registered Nurse, Registered Dietitian (RD), Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner—Acute Care (CPNP-AC), Certified Physician Assistant (PA-C), or Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner (CRNP) in Pennsylvania.
Within six months, obtain Basic Life Support (BLS) certification through an organization requiring hands-on instructor-led psychomotor skills verification.
Receive an annual influenza vaccine if working in a patient-care building or in a patient-facing capacity.

Nice To Haves

At least two years of pediatric experience.
At least one year of knowledge of patient safety and quality improvement concepts and methods, including data collection and analysis.
Previous ICU or Cardiac Center experience is preferred by the hiring team.

Responsibilities

Develop and communicate safety and quality goals and metrics in collaboration with the nurse manager and medical director; work with leaders to prioritize and resource improvement work.
Coach staff on improvement, safety behaviors, error prevention, and alignment of initiatives with organizational goals and patient- and family-centered values.
Foster a fair and just culture of patient and employee safety and apply high-reliability principles to safety and quality issues.
Integrate improvement initiatives so they support patient outcomes and patient/family experience.
Orient, develop, and mentor lead nurses and working teams; partner with the nurse manager or clinical supervisor when team members need support meeting responsibilities.
Apply the CHOP Improvement Framework, use data-based decision-making, and apply project-planning techniques to improvement work.
Communicate initiative progress and outcomes in a timely manner, including displaying data for microsystem staff.
Coordinate microsystem improvement initiatives, establish timelines, use project-management skills, scope large goals into achievable work, and secure appropriate measures, metrics, and data support.
Coach and consult with staff across disciplines on behavioral changes; partner with shared governance and nursing and physician leadership to influence practice changes.
Develop plans to ensure practice changes occur and are sustained; adapt improvement plans when anticipated outcomes are not achieved and promote adapting, adopting, or abandoning initiatives as appropriate.
Serve as a resource on improvement methodology and tools; incorporate sustainment plans from project inception and use force-field analysis to assess feasibility and barriers.
Investigate microsystem good catches and harmful events, conduct ACAs when needed, partner with multidisciplinary teams during investigations, and enter, retrieve, and trend patient-care event data.
Ensure timely and accurate completion of bedside reviews for Healthcare Acquired Condition events using the standard format, with a focus on systems issues.
Develop agendas for microsystem forums, facilitate meetings, document meeting notes, identify safety and quality trends and training needs, and compile an annual report of microsystem initiatives and achievements.