Professional Development Specialist-RRT

Job Description

The Professional Development Specialist (PDS) is a self-directed, professional registered Respiratory Therapist with advanced knowledge and expertise specific to his/her clinical area. The PDS serves as an educator, change agent, researcher, servant leader role model and mentor. The PDS role is developed in relationship to responsibilities and specialty population of practice. The PDS will be unit/department based and may have additional responsibilities within the department.

Responsibilities

Follows Standards of Practice



Standard 1: Assessment

• The respiratory care (RC) professional development specialist collects pertinent data and information relative to individual, unit, organization, and system performance.

Standard 2: Diagnosis

• The RC professional development specialist analyzes assessment data to determine actual or potential practice gaps and their etiology and other problems, issues or needs.

Standard 3: Outcomes Identification



The RC professional development specialist identifies desired outcomes for a plan tailored to an individual unit, department, organization, system or population.

Standard 4: Planning

• The RC professional development specialist establishes a collaborative plan encompassing strategies to achieve expected outcomes.

Standard 5: Implementation

• The RC professional development specialist implements the identified plan.

Standard 5a: Coordination The RC professional development specialist coordinates implementation of the plan and associated processe



Standard 5b: Health Teaching and Health promotion



The RC professional development specialist employs strategies to teach and promote wellne



Standard 6: Evaluation

• The RC professional development specialist evaluates progress toward attainment of outcomes.

Standard 7: Ethics

• The RC professional development specialist integrates ethics in all aspects of practice

Standard 8: Advocacy

• The RC professional development specialist demonstrates advocacy in all roles and settings.

Standard 9: Respectful and Equitable Practice

• The RC professional development specialist practices with cultural humility and inclusiveness.

Standard 10: Communication

• The RC professional development specialist communicates effectively in all areas of professional practice.

Standard 11: Collaboration

• The RC professional development specialist collaborates with colleagues, academic partners, and other key stakeholders.

Standard 12: Leadership

• The RC professional development specialist leads within the interprofessional practice and learning environments and the profession.

Standard 13: Education

• The RC professional development specialist seeks knowledge and competence that reflects respiratory care practice and promotes futuristic thinking.

Standard 14: Scholarly Inquiry

• The RC professional development specialist integrates scholarship, evidence, and research findings into practice.

Standard 15: Quality of practice

• The RC professional development specialist contributes to quality of respiratory care, healthcare.

Standard 16: Professional Practice Evaluation

• The RC professional development specialist evaluates one's own and others' respiratory care practice.

Standard 17: Resource Stewardship

• The RC professional development specialist uses appropriate resources to plan, provide, and sustain evidence-based initiatives that are safe, effective, financially responsible, and used judiciously.

Standard 18: Environmental Health

• The RC professional development specialist practices in a manner that advances environmental safety and health within the practice and learning environments

Duties and Responsibilities:



Onboarding and Orientation:



Assessment

• Communicates with new employee before start date to make introductions, identify learning style, provides an overview of the orientation process and attempt to alleviate fears and apprehensions.

Diagnosis

• Collaborates with the Clinical Manager or assistant manager when a new hire is finalized and hire date is established. There will be discussion regarding new employee's previous work history, clinical background and possible learning needs.

Identification of Educational Outcomes

• Prepares a competency-based unit orientation for new hires based on objectives and needs of orientee.

Planning

• Prepares a clinical orientation schedule for each new employee based on the employee's previous work experience and clinical background.
• Collaborates with manager to identify a compatible preceptor and determine the anticipated length of orientation.

Implementation

• Works closely with Orientation Team to ensure new employees have attended all classroom orientation before being oriented to the clinical department.
• Schedules and facilitates "class day" for a new employee that is scheduled on the unit to acclimate the new staff member to the physical environment, department standards, performance expectations, and requirements and competencies identified in the new employee's job description.
• Provides instruction to new employee on infection control, emergency equipment and typical equipment/products used in the department.
• Review importance of customer service.
• Provides new employee with a Clinical Performance Objective Record.

Evaluation

• Has daily conversations with preceptor regarding orientee's competency-based orientation plan. Follows up to ensure preceptor documents daily progress.
• Meets with orientee, preceptor and manager (if necessary) during the clinical orientation to discuss progress, set new goals, facilitate conflict resolution strategies and provide feedback.
• Evaluates and documents orientee's progress weekly.
• Provides input into the 90-day evaluation of all new employees.
• Encourages new hires to evaluate the orientation process and makes revision to orientation content based on this input.

On-Going Staff Education and Competency Management:



Assessment

• Evaluates the learning needs of the staff at least annually.
• Maintains an ongoing process of competency assessment in the clinical setting

Diagnosis

• Maintains current knowledge of respiratory care practice in the clinical setting.
• Keeps abreast of educational requirements for all job categories which pertain to clinical care.

Identification of Educational Outcomes

• Prepares and/or coordinates staff education for new products, medications, equipment, services provided, performance improvement initiatives and/or regulatory requirements

Planning

• Refers to professional literature and evidence-based practice when preparing educational materials.
• Maintains appropriate instructor certifications such as Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) or Basic Life Support (BLS) and teaches associated classes minimally four times in a two-year period as deemed necessary and appropriate to level of care
• Collaborates with vendors, physicians, other nurses or professional staff to provide staff education.
• Updates content of ongoing educational offerings annually in collaboration with other educators/PDS or key stakeholders as deemed appropriate per department.

Implementation

• Ensures that all staff is scheduled for and attend ongoing educational offerings, such as Education Days, annually as deemed appropriate per department.
• Ensures that staff completes all required, mandatory education.
• Ensures that staff completes all required, mandatory competency validation
• Maintain educational files on all employees.

Evaluation

• Evaluates staff satisfaction with educational programs
• Evaluates for improved clinical outcomes as appropriate

Leadership and Collaborative Partnerships:

• Demonstrates leadership skills such as the ability to motivate, educate, delegate, and mentor peers and other members of the healthcare team while effectively managing the care of patients and family members. Acts as a resource and educator for multidisciplinary team members and students, continuously evaluating and documenting competency.
• Collaborates with interprofessional colleagues and key stakeholder, including academic partners and patients, while working jointly towards common goals

Professional Development:

• Assumes responsibility and accountability for personal professional growth and development. Contributes to the professional development of peers, colleagues and others.

1. Supports self and peer professional growth and development based on information received in periodic (at least annual) needs assessment.
2. Provides on-going education for individuals in leadership positions such as charge nurse, council chairs or preceptors.
3. Completes all educational requirements to maintain necessary population specific competencies. Submits required test and paperwork in a timely manner.
4. Participates in self and peer review. Uses performance improvement data as a mechanism to positively recognize staff performance.
5. Prepares for certification examination for self and peers in the clinical area through review courses or study groups.
6. Participates in appropriate professional organizations.
7. Evaluates reports of respiratory care outcomes and prepares staff education based on this data.
8. Participates in community services activities.

Other:

• Participates in inquiry, such as research, evidenced based practice and quality improvement initiatives
• Approaches RC practice with a spirit of inquiry
• Is available to provide education to employees on all shifts.
• Participates in councils, task forces, and committee meetings (house wide and unit-based) to improve competencies of the staff members per management's discretion.
• Utilizes evidence based educational design practices in content development.

UNIT POPULATION SERVED COMPETENCY:



Evidence exists that The Christ Hospital staff considers the special needs and behaviors of the specific patient populations served. Evidence also exists that shows the staff demonstrates those competencies that address the unique characteristics related to developmental, physical, psychosocial, mental, emotional, and social needs of patients across the life span. Associates should also be able to demonstrate those competencies that address the needs of patients with unique cultural norms, religious preferences, language/communication barriers and/or literacy limitations.

Qualifications

EDUCATION:



Graduate of accredited school of respiratory care. BS degree preferred.

YEARS OF EXPERIENCE:



Minimum of five years of applicable clinical experience and two years of formal educator experience preferred.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE:



Excellent communication and teaching skills are required. Actively seeks opportunities in area of expertise and /or in education to improve own knowledge by regularly attending continuing education programs.

LICENSES & CERTIFICATIONS:



Graduate of an approved School of Respiratory Care, Current RCP licensure in the state of employment.



The RRT holds a current licensure to practice respiratory care in their state of employment. Membership in professional organizations such as American Association for Respiratory Care [AARC] is desirable.



BLS certification is required.



ACLS certification required for all critical care areas.



NRP certification is required for all perinatal areas.