Job Description
The RN Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) is an advanced generalist prepared at the Master's degree level. The CNL assumes accountability for patient care outcomes. Assimilates and applies evidence-based information to design, implement, and evaluate patient plans of care. The CNL is a provider and manager of care at the point of care to a specific cohort of patients in the microsystem. The CNL designs, implements, and evaluates patient care by coordinating, delegating, and supervising the care provided by the healthcare team, including licensed nurses, technicians, and other health professionals. The number of patients for which the CNL is responsible depends on the healthcare setting and patient nature and complexity. The CNL has 24 hour accountability for the care provided by self and others to whom care is delegated.
3 South is a 29-bed medical stepdown unit specializing in the care of stroke and geriatric patients. The unit offers care to all types of patients requiring cardiac monitoring including cardiology, renal, endocrinology, general medicine, pulmonology, gastroenterology, and oncology. Family Practice Providers are our main source of patients. 3 South Patient Care Assistants are EKG trained and have a Point of Care certification. Health Unit Coordinators (HUC) on 3 South manage the patient flow, patient requests, and physician consults along with many other duties. They also complete training as a Cardiac Monitor Reader (CMR) and share time in both roles as a HUC and CMR. Registered Nurses on 3 South are NIH Stroke certified in the first 6 months. Our nurses have opportunity to become charge nurses and preceptors. All 3 South team members participate in annual education days and are supported by a Professional Development Specialist, in addition to the Clinical Manager and two Assistant Clinical Managers.
Responsibilities
Clinical Nursing Practice

• Conducts ongoing holistic assessments of patient/ family during hospitalization.
• Demonstrates advanced knowledge and skills in the nursing diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation of patient responses to health care problems.
• Uses advanced education/skills as a liaison between staff and providers in order to improve patient outcomes.
• Provides direct care when appropriate to complex patients.
• Reviews patient information, including lab and other test results and progress notes in patient health record daily or as relevant.
• Participates in the development, implementation, and evaluation of standards of care and/or policies and procedures for the specialty population and/or nursing care.
• Instills value for professional nursing practice and develops policies and procedures using: (1) evidenced based practices, (2) guidelines from national professional nursing organizations, and/or (3) nursing standards of care (as available).
• Implements safety interventions to maintain the safety of patients, families, and staff; reports potential and actual safety issues.
• Applies teaching/ learning principles and skills to patients, families, and staff in order to improve patient outcomes.

Lateral Integration/ Coordination of Care:

• Leads and participates with the interdisciplinary team in planning delivery and evaluation of patient-focused care.
• Collaborates with the interdisciplinary care team to communicate patient progress and identify discharge barriers
• Ensures patient/family preparation for care across the continuum, including identifying discharge barriers.
• Assess patient's response to treatment and care
• Acts as a patient and family advocate by addressing patient's needs and concerns to other care providers.

Information Manager:

• Ensures accurate communication and flow of information to appropriate care providers
• Develops and utilizes tools available to effectively evaluate, summarize, and communicate patient's progress toward outcomes to members of the healthcare team, patient, and family and to improve patient experience scores.
• Utilizes technology to document, evaluate, and manage patient outcomes.
• Utilizes current use of information technologies to meet patient needs and provide evidence-based knowledge at the point of care to improve health outcomes.

Outcomes Manager

• Well versed in nurse sensitive indicators and national benchmark data.
• Works with team members to develop and trend performance improvement indicators based on national standards and best practices.
• Highly knowledgeable about performance improvement methodology to improve quality of care to the patients within the microsystem.
• Conducts unit-based performance improvement initiatives to provide a safe environment for patients and to achieve demonstratable outcome improvement.
• Collects and evaluates data on patient outcomes and consistently presents to unit-based and house-wide staff.
• Current in evidence-based practice in clinical area of focus to facilitate quality outcomes and disseminate to nursing colleagues.
• Writes or revises unit-based policies, procedures, and protocols to reflect latest evidence of patient population. Member/chair of applicable Quality Committees.
• Creation of unit-based dashboard which tracks patient outcome/progress in key metrics.

Research

• Uses, disseminates and implements research findings relevant to clinical practice and improving patient outcomes within the microsystem.
• Encourages and supports research efforts in the microsystem.
• Leads research initiatives at the department level including facilitating IRB process and assuring completion of approved studies.

Education

• Conducts formal or informal learning needs assessment of patients and families, as well as staff members.
• Provides or oversees the education of the patient and family to understand illness and self-care concepts.
• Utilizes appropriate teaching principles and strategies to teach patient and family.
• Creates or coordinates the development of patient educational pathways and patient education materials.
• Collaborates with clinical manager and educator to assess and meet identified needs of staff and the microsystem patient population, as needed.
• Supports the clinical and professional development of nursing colleagues through mentoring and role modeling.

Leadership/ Team Manager

• Demonstrates leadership skills and is able to organize, manage, and evaluate function of a team.
• Delegates, supervises, and evaluates the nursing care given by others while retaining accountability for the quality of care given to the patients.
• Promotes interdisciplinary cohesion through the use of task-oriented convergent and divergent group process skills.
• Provides input to nursing leadership on the evaluation and competency of nursing staff.
• Ensures effective communication through the continuum to support ongoing progress toward identified outcomes.

Professional Development/ Member of a Profession

• Knowledgeable and articulate in the professional scope and standards of practice.
• Able to advocate for professional standards of practice using organizational and political processes.
• Skilled in mentoring, coaching, and acts as a role model of the profession.
• Creates opportunities to advocate for the role of the professional nurse as a key member of the interdisciplinary team.
• Holds membership in professional organization(s).
• Participates in continuing education for self and the development of colleagues and future generations.

Productivity

• Understands factors related to cost and effective outcomes when planning and implementing patient care.
• Prioritizes and completes work assignments within allotted time.
• Initiates care in a timely manner; manages workload effectively.
• Understands and maintains awareness of fiscal responsibility by utilizing staff, time, equipment, and supplies appropriately.

Qualifications
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:
EDUCATION: MSN, Masters in Nursing from an accredited school or university required. Certification as a Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) from an approved CNL program certified by the American Colleges of Nursing required. Certification will be maintained.
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE: Minimum of 2 years of RN experience/practice in the acute-care setting of similar patient population.
REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE:

Ability to identify opportunities for improvement in clinical operations in the microsystem and implement change with a willingness to challenge the status quo. Excellent communication, collaborative skills, and team-building skills. Ability to lead, mentor, and develop staff. Exemplifies a strong, positive attitude. Uses quality improvement methodologies to evaluate system failures and improve patient safety practices. Adept at using technology as a tool to support and enhance patient care practices and interdisciplinary communication. Systems-focused and forward thinking. Consistently engages in peer practice with other health professionals for coordination/collaboration to improve continuity. Ability to lead individualized, culturally competent, evidence-based, highly effective care to patients and families. Skilled at delegation, supervision, and evaluation of care given.
About Us
For more than 130 years, The Christ Hospital been the beacon for exceptional healthcare in the Greater Cincinnati community. We're industry pioneers, always pushing the boundaries and reimagining the future of healthcare.

Our culture promotes collaboration, diversity and innovation. Together, as a team, we work tirelessly to enhance healthcare quality, accessibility and safety.