Clinical Nurse Specialist/Clinical Educator, NICU/PICU/PEDS

The Department of Nursing at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University is seeking a full-time Clinical Nurse Specialist, NS35 NICU. Reporting directly to the Director of Nursing for Maternal Child Health, the successful candidate will:

• Serve as a content and clinical expert in the neonatal intensive care unit.
• Collaborate effectively as a team leader serving as a resource to the nursing staff, in order to optimize the delivery of patient care for this most fragile group of patients.
• Provide patent care service by evaluating current nursing practices, and plan, manage and deliver continuing nursing education and training for all nursing staff to meet any and all best practice initiatives put forth by professional organizations and regulatory agencies.
• Ensure the nurses who are hired and continue to work in NICU have the knowledge base, expertise, developed intuition, and critical care skills needed to assess the subtle changes in a baby's behavior that may be signs of impending problems. 
• Provide specialized direct and indirect care to inpatients and outpatients within a designated specialty.
• Assess the unique nursing needs of these patients, formulates nursing care plans and writes nursing orders under the direction of the attending physician or independently manages the nursing care and/or additional specific aspects of the clinic.
• Develop, implement and evaluate standards of the specialty's nursing practice.
• Guide subordinate nursing staff in assessment, development, implementation and evaluation of disability/illness, management, technology and resources for their own learning needs and their patients.
• Anticipate, identify and address the needs of patients through observation, specialty assessment, patient rapport, staff and significant others to provide optimal health care for the patient.
• Perform discharge planning.
• Work collaboratively with other members of the Nursing Department, other health care professionals and services to ensure optimal care for patients.
• Teach and instruct students and all medical staff; and is active in the formulation and implementation of the Outreach Program.
• Participate in clinical research for their own learning needs and their patients.
• Participate in specialty associations for the enhancement of continuing education.
• Participate in clinical research projects including protocol review, patient record review, and compliance monitoring and meeting with regulatory authorities.
• Function with defined lines of supervision to the Director of Nursing, the Department Chairman or designee, and the attending physician.
• Work independently with minimal supervision.
• As needed, may supervise subordinate nursing personnel assigned to the specialty.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Nursing.
• New York State Registered Nurse Licensure. 
• 5+ years of experience in the specialty, to include some level of supervisory experience. 
• Knowledge of performance improvement and regulatory requirements (e.g. TJC requirements)
• Proficient oral and written communication skills
• Ability to collaborate effectively as a team leader in a dynamic, academic healthcare setting, proactive in planning and implementing change
• American Heart Association BLS, ACLS, NRP and Electronic Fetal Monitoring (EFM) certifications (instructor certification preferred)
• Computer literacy in  Microsoft Word and Excel
• Member of Professional Organization, AWHONN
• Or, a satisfactory equivalent combination of experience, education and training