Clinical Nurse Specialist, Women's and Infants' Health

Sinai Health is looking for a Clinical Nurse Specialist, Women's and Infants' Health at Mount Sinai Hospital.

Through a holistic and integrated approach, the CNS, Women’s and Infants’ Health uses advanced clinical competencies to provide consultation and care plans for complex obstetrical patients, with a focus on patients and their families who experience a life-threatening diagnosis for their baby during pregnancy. The CNS provides guidance and leadership to nursing staff caring for palliative fetal/neonatal patients and their families. The CNS uses knowledge-mobilization techniques and the application of improvement science to promote and implement research-informed practice and quality improvement initiatives. The CNS champions, participates in, and leads research. The individual reports directly to the Senior Clinical Program Director, Women’s and Infants’ Health and works very closely with the WIH leadership team.  

In this role you will:

Direct Care and Consultation

• Provide comprehensive client and family directed care in collaboration with other members of the health care team
• Initiate timely and appropriate nursing consultation and collaboration with other care providers
• Develop complex nursing care plans for families who experience a life-threatening diagnosis for their baby during pregnancy
• Support families in decision making in complex clinical situations
• Facilitate access to palliative care providers and services, through strong community health care partnerships
• Provide ongoing palliative care and support whether a family is experiencing the end of pregnancy, death of an infant, or is preparing to leave the hospital with a baby with ongoing medical needs
• Practices as a member of the multidisciplinary team to ensure family’s hopes, goals and values for pregnancy and birth are upheld
• Disseminate knowledge using appropriate delivery methods
• Recognize the need for and plan outcome measurements
• Minimize variances in care, and prevent adverse outcomes

System

• Generate and incorporate new nursing knowledge to develop standards of care, practice guidelines, care pathways/protocols, programs and policies
• Champion perinatal palliative care across the Women’s and Infants’ Health program
• Participate in strategic planning
• Identify and lead quality and risk reviews and initiatives
• Understand and integrate the principles of resource allocation and cost effectiveness in decision making
• Participate in recruitment and retention activities
• Support onboarding and orientation of new staff
• Implement improvements in structures and processes
• Identify, advocate, lead and manage change

Education

• Planning, coordinating and conducting patient and health care team educational programs based on needs, priorities and organizational resources
• Disseminate new knowledge through formal and informal channels, including internal and external presentations and publications
• Identify the learning needs of nurses and other members of the health care team and finds or develops programs and resources to meet those needs
• Be a mentor, preceptor, coach or role model
• Support a culture of professional growth, continuous learning and collaborative practice
• Build capacity of nursing staff
• Participate in collaborative projects with academic institutions

Research

• Identify and implement research based innovations for improving care
• Identify and apply research, practice guidelines, and current best practices
• Identify, conduct and support research
• Collect data and evaluating outcomes of care
• Facilitating evidence informed practice

Leadership

• Participate in professional development
• Apply theories and principles of safety, project and change management
• Develop and articulate a vision for nursing practice and implements approaches to realize the vision
• Develop and maintain standards of nursing practice and management of patient care through creation of an environment conducive to growth and development of staff
• Perform other duties consistent with the job classification as required

Job Requirements:

Mandatory

• Currently registered and in good standing with the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO)
• Successful completion of a Master’s degree in nursing from a CNO accredited academic institution
  • Baccalaureate degree from a CNO-approved nursing program with a Master’s degree in a related discipline may be considered
• Recent experience in perinatal palliative care

Preferred

• Neonatal Resuscitation Certificate an asset
• Certification in Perinatal Nursing 
• Eligible for cross-appointment to an academic institution
• Member of CAPWHN, RNAO and other professional associations/organizations relevant to the role is an asset

Skills and Knowledge

• Demonstrated ability to lead and sustain change
• Demonstrated experience with knowledge transfer
• A comprehensive theoretical knowledge base and advanced level of clinical competence in the care of palliative perinatal patients
• Effective verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills
• Excellent organization and time management skills
• Excellent decision making, problem recognition, problem solving skills, negotiation and conflict resolution skills
• Program planning and evaluating methodology skills
• Commitment to collaborative practice
• Ability to work effectively and independently under stressful/challenging conditions
• Ability to utilize information technology and support staff in its application eg: Astraia
• Expertise in Power Point, Visio or other equivalent platforms
• Demonstrated satisfactory work performance and attendance history

If this sounds like you and you’re ready to build your career within nursing leadership, apply now and let us know why you’d be a great addition to our team.