As one of the nation’s leading pediatric health care systems, Nemours is committed to providing all children with their best chance to grow up healthy. We offer integrated, family-centered care to more than 300,000 children each year in our pediatric hospitals, specialty clinics and primary care practices in Delaware, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Nemours strives to ensure a healthier tomorrow for all children – even those who may never enter our doors – through our world-changing research, education and advocacy efforts. At Nemours, our Associates help us deliver on the promise we make to every family we have the privilege of serving: to treat their child as if they were our own. 

Job Description

Clinical Lead Nurse (CLN) is clinical registered nurse who facilitates the provision and coordination of patient care on a shift and to assists staff in addressing patient care issues and staff needs. Their primary responsibilities include clinical excellence, mentorship, leadership, and professional development. CNL do not have a patient assignment, so they can provide real-time bedside clinical support to clinical staff.

The CNL plays a vital role in supporting daily operations on the unit in collaboration with the nurse manager, clinical nurse educator, and clinical nurse specialist. Some of the activities include inter-disciplinary patient care rounds; supporting, teaching, and mentoring staff with patient admissions, transfer, and discharges; troubleshooting supply and equipment issues; monitoring infection control and patient acuity system. The CNL is an advocate for patients, families, Associates, and integrates conflict resolution and negotiation into daily practice. The CNL leads by example and utilizes unit leadership to assist in problem solving, assessment and management of patient, family, and visitor needs, and exploring personal professional development goals and learning.

“Practice of professional nursing” means the performance of those acts requiring substantial specialized knowledge, judgment, and nursing skill based upon applied principles of psychological, biological, physical, and social sciences which shall incl The observation, assessment, nursing diagnosis, planning, intervention, and evaluation of care; health teaching and counseling of the ill, injured, or infirm; and the promotion of wellness, maintenance of health, and prevention of illness of others.

(b) The administration of medications and treatments as prescribed or authorized by a duly licensed practitioner authorized by the laws of this state to prescribe such medications and treatments.

(c) The supervision and teaching of other personnel in the theory and performance of any of the acts.

Nurse Practice Act. The 2016 Florida Statues, Title XXXII, Regulation of Professions and Occupations. Retrieved from http://floridasnursing.gov/resources/

The Registered Nurse implements the patient care delivery model for the patient and their family.

Clinical Judgment

• Consistently set an example of excellence in clinical practice. Support and elevate clinical practice and disseminate expertise during clinical shift.
• Monitor infection control, clinical care, and patient acuity system.
• Establish nursing care for patients based on nursing process per standards of nursing practice, policies, established protocol, or as determined by the professional judgment; patient’s response to interventions; modification of care plan following evaluation of response as needed. Collaborate with physician and healthcare team in the coordination of post-hospital care needs.
• Utilize policies, procedures, guidelines, and reliable methods to make clinical practice decisions.
• Independently develop, implement, evaluate, and modify clinical practice matching formal knowledge with critical thinking and nursing skills.
• Collect and interpret complex patient data with clinical events to make clinical decisions to meet individual patient and family needs.
• Recognize and respond to the dynamic situation while sorting out extraneous detail and exercises clinical judgment based on an immediate grasp of the whole picture for the patient population of the assigned clinical area.
• Engage in multidisciplinary collaboration, proactively seek expert consultation, and delegate to other clinicians, as appropriate, while using evidence-based guidelines.

Clinical Inquiry

• Demonstrate knowledge seeking behaviors and identify clinical questions. Seek advice, resources, and/or education opportunities to improve patient care.
• Participate in the research process and implement changes in practice based upon the evidence.

Caring Practices

• Create a safe, compassionate, supportive, and therapeutic environment for patients, family, and Associates.
• Promote comfort and healing and prevent unnecessary suffering with vigilance, engagement, and responsiveness.
• Develop professional and trusting relationships that facilitate patient/family coping while maintaining appropriate boundaries.

Response to Diversity:

• Recognize, appreciate, and incorporate differences into the provision of patient and family centered care, including cultural, spiritual, gender/gender identity, lifestyle, race, ethnicity, linguistic, socioeconomic status, age, developmental, and values.
• Demonstrate effective methods of communication as required to meet the patient and family health care literacy needs.
• Preserve and protect the confidentiality, autonomy, dignity, and rights of patient and families.
• Acknowledge and adapt to the organizational culture and healthcare environment.

Advocacy/ Moral Agency

• Advocate on behalf of patients, families, and Associates while promoting adherence to the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses.
• Advocate for patients, families, Associates, and integrate conflict resolution and negotiation into daily practice. Act as resource for patients and families working towards resolution of ethical and moral issues.  Initiate ethics consult when appropriate.   
• Serve as a moral agent in identifying and help to resolve ethical and clinical concerns within and outside the clinical setting.

Collaboration

• Work with patients, families, and Associates in a way that respectfully promotes each person’s contributions toward developing and achieving optimal patient and family goals across the continuum. Round on patients and families; responds promptly and professionally address requests, problems, and/or concerns.
• Coordination of patient admissions, transfer, and discharges.
• Participate in team meetings and discussions regarding patient care and/or practice issues.
• Involve intra- and inter-professional work with colleagues and community.
• Participate in nursing/hospital governance, councils, committees, ad hoc teams and/or initiatives to improve clinical practice and patient care outcomes.

Systems Thinking

• Utilize unit leadership to assist in problem solving, assessment and management of patient, family, and visitor needs, administrative aspects of the role (i.e. staffing requirements, scheduling).
• Perform quality control audits, monitor and document issues as related to nursing practice.
• Troubleshoot supply and equipment issues.
• Utilize appropriate resources to plan and provide nursing services that are safe, effective, and financially responsible.
• Develop, integrate, and apply strategies across the continuum of care that are driven by the unique needs and strengths of the patient and family.
• Contribute to the development and revision of standards of care policies and procedures.

Facilitation of Learning

• Provide clinical support and formal mentoring for nurses completing orientation, transitioning to independent practice, and enhancement of clinical skills.
• Identify areas of educational needs and facilitate formal and informal learning for patients, families, Associates, and the community.
• Assess patients and family’s readiness to learn.
• Utilize patient teaching plans that incorporate evidence based practice and evaluate effectiveness.
• Seek out a mentor to facilitate individual professional growth.
• Serve as a mentor, coach, preceptor, based upon unit needs and individual preferences and/or abilities.

Perform other duties as assigned

Requirements:

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing or higher nursing degree, required
• Internal Candidates Only: ASN required; If  RN does not have a bachelor’s or higher graduate degree in nursing, the RN is required to make steady progress to achieving a BSN or graduate degree in nursing (Progress is defined as enrolled in an accredited BSN program or graduate degree in nursing program and completing courses each year).
• Active registered nurse licensure for State of Florida required
• National certification: obtain within one year of eligibility and maintain certification in area of clinical specialty (required)
• One year of RN experience required & 5 years of experience in pediatric specialty area, preferred
• Course Completions - AHA Healthcare courses required on hire and current during employment:
  • BLS Health Care Provider
  • PALS - Pre-op and PACU, Emergency Department, CICU, PICU, Medical/Surgical, Hematology/Oncology, Infusion, Observation, Sedation, Inpatient Rehab, Radiology
  • NRP - NICU
  • ACLS – ED
• Classes
  • Hematology/Oncology and Infusion Center – APHON Chemotherapy/Biotherapy provider within 1 year of hire
  • ED - ENPC and TNCC preferred

Our dedication to professionals who are dedicated to children frequently earns Nemours a spot on the list of top workplaces in the communities we serve. Our Associates enjoy comprehensive benefits, including our unique “Bridge to a Healthy Future” pediatric health plan, an integrated wellness program, opportunities for professional growth, and much more. As an equal opportunity employer, Nemours focuses on the best-qualified applicants for our openings.