Nursing Professional Development Specialist
Pleasanton, CA
Amergis Healthcare Staffing, Inc.
5x8 hrs

***FLSA Classification: Exempt***
A Brief Overview:
The Nursing Professional Development Specialist I (NPDP I) is a registered nurse with NPD practice judgment and expertise who influences professional role competence and growth of learners in a variety of settings with the desired outcome of improved population health. The NPDP I supports learners in interprofessional practice and learning environments to facilitate continuous development and learning for the healthcare team. The NPDP I is responsible for utilizing the Scope and Standards of NPD Practice and Professional Performance to provide the framework that delineates the expected level of professional performance as an NPD practitioner; describes the duties that all NPD practitioners are expected to perform competently as the minimum guidelines for practice. Additionally, the NPDP I assumes seven key roles including a learning facilitator, change agent, mentor, leader, champion for inquiry, advocate for NPD specialty, and partner for practice transitions to support the organization in the provision of quality patient care by helping to ensure the clinical competence of nursing staff and foster the delivery of compassionate, evidence-based nursing practice.

What you will do
Learning Facilitator: Uses the educational design process and adult learning principles to bridge the knowledge, skills, and/or practice gaps identified through learning needs assessment and evaluation of outcomes.

Change Agent: Actively works to transform processes at micro, meso, and macro systems. The NPDS uses change management strategies and theories to drive desired outcomes.

Mentor: Advances the profession of nursing and the NPD specialty by contributing to the professional development of others and supporting ongoing professional learning as individuals develop across practice, professional and educational settings.

Leader: Influences the interprofessional practice and learning environments, the NPD specialty, the profession of nursing, and healthcare.

Champion for inquiry: Promotes a spirit of inquiry, the generation and dissemination of new knowledge, and the use of evidence to advance NPD practice, guide clinical practice, and improve the quality of care for the healthcare consumer/partner.

Advocate for NPD specialty: Actively supports, promotes, and demonstrates nursing professional development as a nursing practice specialty.

Partner for practice transitions: Supports the transition of nurses and other healthcare team members across practice and learning environments, roles, and professional stages.

Responsibilities are the required duties of the NPDP I including onboarding/orientation, competency management, education, professional role development, integration of research/evidence-informed practice/quality improvement, and collaborative partnerships. The NPDS I collaborates with the leadership team and staff regarding patient care and staff performance issues participates in setting standards and maintains knowledge and skills in the areas to which assigned.

Responsibilities filled by the NPDS I include:

Onboarding/orientation: Develops, coordinates, manages, facilitates, conducts, and evaluates onboarding and orientation programs for nursing & other healthcare personnel.

Competency management: Assesses, measures, documents, and supports competency, and addresses deficiencies in staff members and team competence.

Education: Uses educational design process to plan, implement, and evaluate educational initiatives to address practice gaps for identified target audiences to achieve specific outcomes related to identified deficits or opportunities for improvement in knowledge, skill, and/or practice. Uses knowledge and skills to evaluate how educational initiatives enhance the professional development of nurses and other healthcare personnel. Supports the provision of continuing nursing education and collaborates with other professions to design, manage, implement, coordinate, and evaluate interprofessional continuing education. If employed at CEPD, functions in the capacity of Nurse Planner for SHC ANCC Accredited Provider Unit Program for Continuing Nursing Education Credits and CA BRN.

Professional Role Development: Assists others in their professional role development, practice role transitions, and succession planning. NPDS I may coach others, and coordinate, facilitate conduct, and evaluation activities that promote professional role development and role transition.

Collaborative Partnerships: Teaches, coordinates, serves as liaison, and/or advises nurses and other learners concerning education and learning. NPDS I enters intro collaborative partnerships both within and external to the organization.

Inquiry: Promotes and integrates the science of NPD specialty to continuously improve practice and promote inquiry in patient care settings. NPDS I may conduct, evaluate, encourage, consume, facilitate, and/or participate in the inquiry, including dissemination of findings

In addition, as a role model of professional behavior, the Nursing Professional Development Specialist I is instrumental in creating a professional nursing environment within the organization contributing to the provision of optimal care and promotion of health at an individual and global level by supporting learning, change, and professional role competence and growth to meet the needs of diverse units and departments.

The primary outcomes of NPDS I practice include learning, change, and professional role competence and growth. The NPDS I contributes to the provision of optimal care and promotion of health at an individual and global level.

1. Learning: Supports the acquisition of knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitudes upon which to base practice.

2. Change: Supports the adaptation of new behaviors and processes in practice.

3. Professional role competence and growth: Supports performance that meets defined criteria based on specialty areas, content, and model of practice in addition to advancement through Benner’s stages of clinical development or progression.
Education Qualifications
BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN NURSING FROM AN ACCREDITED UNIVERSITY Required or

MASTERS IN NURSING AND EQUIVALENT COURSEWORK IN CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT, ADULT LEARNING THEORY, LEARNING NEEDS ASSESSMENT, AND LEARNING OUTCOME MEASUREMENT FROM AN ACCREDITED COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY Required
Experience Qualifications
FOUR (4) YEARS OF PROGRESSIVELY RESPONSIBLE NURSING EXPERIENCE, INCLUDING ONE YEAR AS A
NURSE EDUCATOR OR EQUIVALENT ELSEWHERE

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Ability to apply a professional nursing code of ethics and professional guidelines to clinical practice.

Ability to apply Scope and Standards of Practice for Nursing Professional Development Practitioner to role functions.

Ability to be a resource for all employees assigned area of specialization. * Ability to plan, implement, evaluate, and revise professional development and continuing education programs for nursing staff at the unit and organization-wide levels. * Ability to design curricula and programs that reflect sound education principles, incorporate evidence-based practice, meet measurable outcomes, and meet requirements of external regulatory and accrediting organizations. * Ability to evaluate and document the academic performance and clinical competency of staff, identifying staff and unit’s needs, strengths, limitations, and opportunities. * Ability to plan educational programs for staff with various levels of ability given available resources. * Ability to function as a learning facilitator, change agent, mentor, leader, champion of scientific inquiry, advocate for NPD specialty, and partner for practice transitions.

Ability to demonstrate SHC leadership competencies.

Knowledge of adult instructional methods and theories, learning concepts, and evaluation.

Knowledge of the current theories, principles, practices, and standards of as well as emerging technologies, techniques, issues, and approaches in the nursing profession, particularly those applicable to the area of assignment/expertise, the culture of nursing, and the health care system, as well as the responsibility and accountability for the outcome of practice.

Knowledge of laws, rules, and regulations; standards and guidelines of certifying and accrediting bodies; hospital and department/unit standards, protocols, policies, and procedures governing the provision of nursing care applicable to the area of assignment.

Knowledge of medical terminology; principles and practices of health promotion, risk reduction, illness and disease prevention and management; medications and drugs, common dosages, their physical and physiological effects, and possible adverse reactions, as related to assigned area.

Knowledge of medical and professional nursing ethics and patient privacy rights.

Knowledge of computer systems and software used
Licenses and Certifications
CA-RN (Registered Nurse) required Upon Hire

BLS - Basic Life Support required Upon Hire
Physical Demands and Work Conditions
Physical Demands
Seldom (please list each item under Comments). Work is primarily sedentary in nature and performed in a normal business office environment. No special physical demands are required.
Blood Borne Pathogens
Category III - Tasks that involve NO exposure to blood, body fluids or tissues, and Category I tasks that are not a condition of employmentBenefits At Amergis, we firmly believe that our employees are the heartbeat of our organization and we are happy to offer the following benefits:

• Competitive pay & weekly paychecks
• Health, dental, vision, and life insurance
• 401(k) savings plan
• Awards and recognition programs 

*Benefit eligibility is dependent on employment status. 
About Amergis Amergis, formerly known as Maxim Healthcare Staffing, has served our clients and communities by connecting people to the work that matters since 1988. We provide meaningful opportunities to our extensive network of healthcare and school-based professionals, ready to work in any hospital, government facility, or school. Through partnership and innovation, Amergis creates unmatched staffing experiences to deliver the best workforce solutions.  
Amergis is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.