ST. MARY'S MEDICAL CENTER
Position Description
1. Title of Position:
2. Location of Position:
Specialist, Nurse
Assigned Department
3. Description of Duties and Responsibilities:
Summary:
The Nurse Specialist provides expert, integrated supportive consultation
services for the promotion of cost effective, quality patient care
across the health care continuum to both providers and consumers.
Clinical leadership is provided in multiple and varied system wide care
initiatives. The NS demonstrates a high degree of professional
competence in a specialized field of nursing. In collaboration with
nursing management, works to establish a philosophy of care, developing
models and standards to ensure competent, current practice based on
patient needs and available resources.
Detail:

Functions as an expert clinician providing consultation on professional
issues in nursing and health care (standards of practice, etc) in
clinical specialty area to administration and others.

Acts as a resource to all members of the health care team related to the
provision of care, enhancing assessment skills of others, establishment
of appropriate care standards, and determination of realistic goals for
optimal patient outcome.

Provides direct and/or indirect care to select patients/ families as an
expert clinician role model for nursing staff.

Maintains a current knowledge of changes in specialty patient care
management standards, and takes appropriate measures to incorporate into
performance systems.

Examines existing protocols, pathways, standards of care, policies and
procedures, and educational materials annually and assists in revision.

Participates in the development of new policies and procedures, pathways
and standards of care and assists in their implementation.

Promotes evidence-based practice in self and others by reading,
interpreting, and evaluating research for utilization in practice.

Participates in research activities as indicated.

Initiates and participates in clinical quality improvement projects in
collaboration with managers.
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
Evaluates quality improvement data and formulates evidence based
recommendations to improve quality of care and nursing practice.

Evaluates and critiques patients care systems, approaches, practices,
and techniques. Identifies professional practice areas where change is
needed and creates or facilitates change as needed.

Develops, coordinates and implements effective staff development
programs that target the needs of staff to enhance patient care and
nursing practice.

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
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Assesses learning needs of nursing staff and develops
educational strategies to meet those needs.
Assures the competency of nursing staff in required skills
in collaboration with staff development and management.
Plans and provides educational programs as requested.
Develops implements and evaluates unit based specialty
orientation.
Supports socialization, education, and training of novice
clinicians by serving as preceptor, role model, and mentor.
Acts as a resource to affiliated nursing school programs.
Solicits and collects current information for nursing
departments in specialty area in order to develop and
maintain competency base for self and staff.

Assesses the learning needs of specific patient populations and develops
patient/ family education tools, classes or programs in collaboration
with nursing managers, staff and Patient Education Coordinator.

Participates in community outreach projects as indicated.

Participates actively in planning for new patient care services and
programs when appropriate.

Functions as a member of an integrated professional team in the ongoing
accurate assessment of patient needs, development, implementation and
evaluation of the nursing plan of care on an ongoing basis.

Assumes responsibility for ongoing assessment of patient care needs
through frequent patient rounds and communication with nursing
caregivers, physicians, and other members of the health care team.

Participates in interdisciplinary plan of care meetings as indicated.
Collaborates with care management to meet complex patient healthcare
needs.

Participates in or coordinates committees and task forces effectively as
necessary and appropriate to improve patient care delivery and customer
satisfaction.
ADDENDUM
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STROKE CENTER
PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Detail:

Responsible for the day to day operations of the Stroke Center.

Responds and coordinates response of others to Stroke Alerts in the
hospital.

Responds to patient and significant other’s concerns through counseling
and education regarding the Stroke Program.

Leads and participates in quality improvement processes. Recognizes
trends in stroke care, explores alternatives to processes to improve
stroke care.

Leads the Stroke Center implementation and operational teams (QUEST and
Stroke Alert team). Ensures the timeline and key deliverables of the
implementation plan are achieved.

Assists in the development and revision of standards of care/
guidelines/ clinical pathways/ order sets for stroke patients
incorporating an interdisciplinary approach and utilizing best practices
and research findings.

Responsible for reporting and achieving the scorecard targets.

Monitors ongoing documentation of patient care and data collection.

Monitors compliance with regulatory guidelines, quality guidelines, and
Primary Stroke Center Certification guidelines.

Utilizes various methods to increase stroke awareness - Works in
collaboration with marketing, wellness, and outreach to conduct
community education seminars and participation in health fairs in
targeted outreach areas to increase stroke awareness and grow market
share.

Assists with coordination of physician based community education
seminars as needed.

Works with nursing, rehabilitation and other services to ensure
comprehensive patient education and preparation is achieved and
maintained on an ongoing basis.

Coordinates care of Stroke Center patients through collaboration with
physicians, nursing, case management, social workers, therapists,
radiology, lab, dieticians, pharmacy, outreach coordinators and all
members of the healthcare team through team conferences and one-on-one
meetings to ensure a quality care-delivery process for patients across
the continuum.

Accountable for all patient education materials and notebooks to educate
patient and families. Ensures all materials are standardized and
consistent with standard order sets and clinical pathways. Works with
physicians to review and approve materials as necessary.
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
Participates in staff education on an individual and/or group basis as
needed. Provides support to the Stroke Center team for continual
learning.

Facilitates development of education programs for staff orientation,
annual education, and yearly competencies related to the stroke center.

Accountable for the key performance measures of the Stroke Center.
Works with the team to identify and track key performance measures
including but not limited to: patient satisfaction, LOS, discharge
disposition, and stroke specific outcome tools as necessary.

Works with decision support and performance improvement departments to
distribute reports to key stakeholders.

Maintains flexible work hours to accommodate patients and physicians
which often includes long hours and unscheduled shifts for peak periods
of activity.
YES___ NO___
Participates in and responds with improved performance to
results obtained from QA monitors.
YES___ NO___
Submits RN license before expiration date.
YES___ NO___
Assumes responsibility for own behavior which is consistent
with Medical Center mission and philosophy of nursing.
YES___ NO___
Identifies professional goals for coming year.

Maintains confidentiality.

Performs other duties as required or assigned.

Follows all standard safety precautions.

Reports on the job as scheduled.

Follows the standards of conduct and policies and procedures of St.
Mary's Medical Center and applicable laws and regulations and reports
violations through the appropriate chain of command.
YES__NO__
Annually completes required competency assessments.
(Reference competency checklist)
N/A__YES__NO__
Utilize appropriate measures to promote and maintain patient
safety.
N/A__YES__NO__
Makes decisions which include using the age of the patients
treated when appropriate.
N/A__YES__NO__
Attends OSHA education classes.
N/A__YES__NO__
Demonstrates knowledge of operation to include but not
limited to the required unit specific equipment/procedures.
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N/A__YES__NO__
Demonstrates knowledge of on-going unit specific performance
improvement activities.
DEMONSTRATES THE VALUES OF ST. MARY'S MEDICAL CENTER:

Compassion - Loving concern and understanding for patients, visitors and
co-workers.

Hospitality - A warm, helpful and welcoming attitude toward patients,
visitors and co-workers.

Reverence - Respect for the God-given dignity of patients, visitors and
co-workers.

Interdependence - A cooperative and collaborative attitude among all
members of the health care community.

Stewardship - Responsible use of and accountability for our human,
material and financial resources.

Trust - Integrity, truthfulness and straight-forwardness in
relationships.
4.
Requirements:
Required:
Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing,
Unrestrictive active license as a Registered
Nurse in the State of West Virginia.
Preferred:
Master’s of Science degree in Nursing or related
field.
Certification in Field of Specialty
5.
Experience:
 A minimum of three years of clinical experience in
specialty area, and
 Certification in specialty area is preferred.
Affiliation with professional organization is a strong
recommendation.
 Strong skills in the ability to work effectively with
physicians and a multidisciplinary team toward
achieving a common goal.
 Demonstrated ability to implement a vision; problem
solving; decision making; and establishing effective
rapport with personnel, patients, families,
physicians, and colleagues.
 Documentation of continued professional growth through
formal education courses and/ or contact hours.
6.
Skills:
Demonstrates high degree of independent action.
Job requires strong verbal and written communication
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skills. Strong leadership and critical reasoning skills
in clinical decision-making, planning and organizing,
initiative and ingenuity, creativity, independent
decision-making, problem solving, and ability to
interpret data. Positive relationship skills in working
with physicians and multidisciplinary teams.
Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams to
the successful implementation of major projects and in
accordance with established timelines. Public relations
and promotion of positive morale are important. Ability
to motivate and lead successfully. Some computer skills
are necessary.
7.
Supervision:
Received From:
Reports directly to the Service Line
Director with indirect accountability to
Director of Nursing.
Given to:
Formed:
Rev. :
8/2004
10/05/06, 3/10/08
Specialist, Nurse
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ST. MARY'S MEDICAL CENTER
Title of Position:
Department:
Specialist, Nurse
Assigned Department
Aptitudes:
These aptitudes are considered to be occupationally significant for the
specific job description; i.e., essential for successful job
performance.
Reading/Verbal: Ability to read and understand meanings of words and
ideas associated with them, and to use them effectively. To comprehend
language, to understand relationships between words, and to understand
meanings of whole sentences and paragraphs. To present information and
ideas clearly.
Writing:
Ability to write with proper grammar and spelling.
Numerical: Ability to perform arithmetic operations quickly and
accurately.
Clerical Perception: Ability to perceive pertinent detail in verbal or
tabular material. To observe differences in copy, to proofread words
and numbers, and to avoid perceptual errors in arithmetic computation.
Motor Coordination: Ability to coordinate eyes and hands or fingers
rapidly and accurately in making precise movements with speed. Ability
to make a movement response accurately and quickly.
Finger Dexterity: Ability to move the fingers and manipulate small
objects with the fingers rapidly and accurately.
Manual Dexterity: Ability to move the hands easily and skillfully.
work with the hands in placing and turning motions.
To
Eye-Hand-Foot Coordination: Ability to move the hand and foot
coordinately with each other in accordance with visual stimuli.
Color Discrimination: Ability to perceive or recognize similarities or
differences in colors, or in shades or other values of the same color;
to identify a particular color, or to recognize harmonious or
contrasting
color combinations, or to match colors accurately.
Temperaments:
These temperaments are considered to be occupationally significant for
the specific job description; i.e., essential for successful job
performance.
Situations involving communication with patients and the public, whether
on the telephone, in writing, or in person.
Situations involving a variety of duties often characterized by frequent
change.
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Situations involving doing things only under specific instruction,
allowing little or no room for independent action or judgment in working
out job problems.
Situations involving the direction, control, and planning of an entire
activity or the activities of others.
Situations involving the necessity of dealing with people in actual job
duties beyond giving and receiving instructions.
Situations involving working alone and apart in physical isolation from
others, although the activity may be integrated with that of others.
Situations involving influencing people in their opinions, attitudes, or
judgments about ideas or things.
Situations involving performing adequately under stress when confronted
with the critical or unexpected.
Situations involving the evaluation (arriving at generalizations,
judgments, or decisions) of information against sensory or judgmental
criteria.
Situations involving the evaluation (arriving at generalizations,
judgments, or decisions) of information against measurable or verifiable
criteria.
Situations involving the interpretation of feelings, ideas, or facts in
terms of personal viewpoint.
Situations involving the precise attainment of set limits, tolerances,
or standards.
Physical Demands:
Physical demands are those physical activities required of a worker in a
job. The worker must possess physical capabilities at least in an
amount
equal to the physical demands made by the job. The minimum
physical
qualifications are listed below.
Reaching:
Extending the hands and arms in any direction.
Handling: Seizing, holding, grasping, turning, or otherwise working
with the hand or hands.
Fingering: Picking, pinching, or otherwise working with the fingers
primarily (rather than with the whole hand or arm as in handling).
Feeling: Perceiving such attributes of objects and materials as size,
shape, temperature, or texture, by means of receptors in the skin,
particularly those of the finger tips.
Talking:
Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word.
Hearing:
Perceiving the nature of sounds by the ear.
Acuity, near:
Clarity of vision at 20 inches or less.
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Depth perception: 3-dimensional vision. The ability to judge distance
and space relationships so as to see objects where and as they actually
are.
Field of vision: The area that can be seen up and down or to the right
or left while the eyes are fixed at a given point.
Accommodation: Adjustment of the lens of the eye to bring an object
into sharp focus. This item is especially important when doing nearpoint work at varying distances from the eye.
Color vision:
The ability to identify and distinguish colors.
For the following: (never=0%, rarely=1-10%, occasionally=11-33%,
frequently=34-66%, continuously=67-100%)
Lifting (waist > overhead): Occasionally Up To 24 lbs.
Lifting (floor > waist): Frequently Up To 34 lbs.
Carrying: Frequently Up To 34 lbs.
Pushing: Frequently Up To/Over 100 lbs.
Bending/Stooping: Occasionally
Squatting:
Occasionally
Crawling:
Never
Crouching:
Occasionally
Reaching above
shoulder level:
Occasionally
Balancing:
Frequently
Pushing/Pulling:
Frequently
Kneeling:
Occasionally
Sitting:
Occasionally
Standing:
Frequently
Walking:
Frequently
Climbing:
Never
Environmental Surroundings:
The environmental surroundings of a worker in this job description:
100 % of time spent INSIDE
0 % of time spent OUTSIDE
This job description reflects the general details considered
necessary to describe the principal functions of the job identified,
and shall not be construed as a detailed description of all the work
requirements and demands that may be inherent in the job.
8/2004
Rev’d:
10/05/06, 3/10/08
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Specialist, Nurse
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