Greater Oregon HERC

Department Overview

The Professional Practice Leader (PPL) is a Registered Nurse (RN) who is responsible for upholding excellence in the provision of nursing care through implementation of the professional Practice Model and evidence-based standards of care. The Professional Practice Leader possesses broad nursing knowledge and has demonstrated high-performance as a clinical nurse. Facilitates patient care delivered by direct care nurses by evaluating knowledge, ownership and performance of professional standards of care; the impact of care delivery; nursing practice, and resources allocated on patient outcomes.

The PPL utilizes professional practice as the foundation for building a professional practice environment. The PPL partners with managers, assistant nurse managers, clinical specialties leaders and the interdisciplinary care team to ensure the integration of professional practice with evidence-based specialty practices in the delivery of safe, quality patient care within administrative and clinical policies and procedures. The PPL adheres to regulatory standards, bargaining unit agreements, hospital and clinical standards of performance, and human resource management. The PPL implements quality and safety initiatives, engages in process improvement, and hospital and clinical standards of performance. The PPL ensures a patient care environment that supports a safe, knowledgeable, compassionate, productive, and engaged staff.The PPLs decisions and actions are based on ethical principles as outlined by the American Nurses Association. The PPL practices in adherence with the American Nurses Association's (ANA) Nursing Administration: Scope and Standards of Practice for Nurse Administrators, the ANA Code of Ethics, the Oregon State Board of Nursing's Practice Act, and within the context of the Nurse Executive Competencies developed by the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE). The PPL exemplifies the principles of the OHSU Culture of Safety Position Statement by committing to a Just Culture, a Reporting Culture, a Learning Culture, and an Engaged Informed Culture.

Function/Duties of Position

Strategic Planning

• Partners with others to develop a department strategic plan that reflects the division strategic plan and nursing's vision.
• Participates in formulating objectives/ goals and integrating professional practice standards and strategies to advance strategic initiatives
• Assists in coordinating the implementation of interventions to meet department-level goals.
• Assists with communicating implementing, and evaluating the unit/department/program strategic plan.

Operational Leadership

• Partners with others to enhance healthcare and, ultimately, patient care through interdisciplinary activities, such as education, consultation, management, technological development, or research opportunities.
• Ascribes to systems theory with an understanding that how parts of a system relate to the overall system.
• Evaluates staff's competency and intervenes to optimize professional practice performance.
• Promotes and practices patient/family advocacy and promotes patient-centered decisions and outcomes.
• Informs others stakeholders of department, nursing and organizational professional practice activities.
• Communicates plans and decisions to department staff and other stakeholders.
• Reflects on own method of decision-making and the role of beliefs, values and inferences in leading effectively.
• Practices within shared-governance structures and promotes that decision-making by the group who has the authority within the governance structure

Financial Management

• Collaborates in determining nursing department/d level learning and professional practice priorities
• Develops innovative solutions and applies strategies to obtain appropriate resources for nursing initiatives. Measures cost effectiveness of innovative learning and professional development approaches.
• Promotes activities that inform others about cost, risks, and benefits of care, including the plan and solution to minimize risk and maximize benefits.

Human Resources

• Uses evidence-based leadership to promote desired behaviors
• Collaborates with nursing department leadership, develops high performing nurses, advancing and rewarding their practice along the novice-expert continuum.
• Mentors and coaches nurses to self-reflect on their practice against professional standards and self-direct their ongoing professional development.
• Monitors, evaluates, and communicates the application of professional practice standards in initial and on-going competencies, professional practice evaluation processes, and policies and procedures. .
• Collaborates with nursing department leadership to facilitate behaviors that impact safety, quality, patient satisfaction, and employee satisfaction.
• Influences the hiring and retention of clinical RNs who are aligned with the OHSU Nursing Vision and professional practice standards.
• Participates in succession planning.
• Consults with Clinical Specialist Leaders and members of mangement to identify individual professional practice issues and engages with clinical nurses to develop improvement approaches.
• Responsible for the development of onboarding and ongoing development professional practice competencies and learning activiteis. Evalutes and contributes to the improvement of the nursing orientation process.
• Supervises specialty practice "educators" who translate patient population and level of care workflows into onboarding and ongoing competencies and job aides. Contributes to performance appraisal, facilitates progressive development, and determines the role of the specialty fellows in:
  • Competency, training, information, & education
  • Initial and on-going competencies of nursing staff in specialized skills unique to assigned clinical are.
  • Ongoing learning activities for specialty clinical areas.

Performance Improvement

• Monitors and uses data to determine professional practice improvement priorities.
• Partners with others to develop the nursing department professional practice advancement plan.
• Engages staff in nursing department initiatives.
• Evaluates the practice environment in relation to existing professional standards, and care delivery best practices.
• Designs and implements quality improvement strategies to ensure nurse sensitive outcomes meet or exceed established goals.
• Evaluates the impact/benefits of organizational, nursing, and department initiatives, and communicates learning to disseminate best practices.
• Identifies areas of risk and makes suggestions for reducing risk and improving outcomes.
• Investigates concerns and errors to understand occurrences of errors or adverse events. Refers practice issues related to specialty practice to the appropriate CSL.

Professionalism

• Evaluates department nursing practice in relation to the professional practice standards and existing evidence and uses findings to advance a professional practice environment/culture.
• Promotes clinical nurses' translation of theory, scope & standards into practice to exercise autonomy and decision-making authority
• Advances practice excellence by communicating a clear and consistent vision about the ownership of role and standards -based professional practice
• Obtains and maintains professional certification, preferably in the expertise of leadership.
• Promotes communication of information and advancement of the profession through writing, publishing, and presentations for professional or lay audiences.
• Mentors and supports others to access resources for their professional development
• Engages in informal and formal processes of giving and seeking feedback regarding role performance from individuals, professional collegues, representatives, administrators, and others.

Required Qualifications

• BSN or higher degree in nursing.
• Five years of experience as a registered nurse in a related clinical area of practice and three years recent related leadership experience
• Experience in complex organization environments.
• Ability to effectively manage multiple conflicting priorities.
• Proficient with word processing, computational spreadsheet (e.g., Excel), and presentation software.
• Professional certification in nursing leadership-Nurse
• Executive/Administrator or Professional Development within 3 years of assuming the manager role.
• Unencumbered Oregon RN License
• BLS for healthcare provider
• Five years of experience as a registered nurse in a related clinical area of practice and three years recent related leadership experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in nursing or related field (e.g. MBA with Healthcare Administration concentration, Public Health)

• Recent leadership experience in the related clinical area of practice

• Professional certification in nursing leadership-Nurse Executive/Administrator or Professional Development

• Experience in nursing management

• Three years of management experience in the related clinical area of practice

Additional Details

• Requires prioritization of multiple projects, activities, and assignments.
• Frequent interruptions in an environment of frequent change and fluctuations.
• May be exposed to excessive auditory and visual stimulation.
• For inpatient units: accepts 24/7 accountability and responsibility to include possibility of stepping into patient care or clerical role, as needed. For outpatient or special service-type units: accountability and responsibility for overall program during hours of operation and overall program coordination, including stepping into a clinical or clerical role as needed.
• May be required to attend out of town conferences according to hospital travel and reimbursement policies.
• Subject to computer work for several as needed
• Must be able to deal with competing needs and priorities of internal and external customers including ensuring safe conditions for patients, families and staff.
• Exercises the ability to implement a flexible work schedule to meet the unit needs and to create a work-life balance
• Ability to lift, bend, stoop, reach, carry, push, pull, and work throughout the work period. Able to lift 35 lbs. independently. Complies with evidence-based lifting and positioning practices.
• Must be able to use the following senses: seeing, hearing, touching, and smelling; and have the ability to speak. Reasonable accommodations include corrective lenses and hearing aides
• The work environment carries the risk of exposure to human tissue/fluids and radiation
• Able to use hospital equipment as needed, including significant use of computers, copiers, multi-line phones and fax machines.

All are welcome