Company Description
The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) is an academic private health system, focused on delivering compassionate, high quality care and putting discovery and innovation into practice at the bedside. Partnering with the University of Maryland School of Medicine, University of Maryland School of Nursing and University of Maryland, Baltimore who educate the state’s future health care professionals, UMMS is an integrated network of care, delivering 25 percent of all hospital care in urban, suburban and rural communities across the state of Maryland. UMMS puts academic medicine within reach through primary and specialty care delivered at 11 hospitals, including the flagship University of Maryland Medical Center, the System’s anchor institution in downtown Baltimore, as well as through a network of University of Maryland Urgent Care centers and more than 150 other locations in 13 counties. For more information, visit www.umms.org.
Job Description
General Summary
The Neonatal Escalation Safety Telemetry (NEST) program is a 24/7 remote operation that is staffed with experienced labor & delivery RNs and provides remote monitoring of fetal tracings for obstetric patients across all UMMS hospitals. Under the direction of the Nurse Manager, the RN will work in conjunction with the bedside team at all UMMS L&D units to provide additional observation of fetal tracings and early identification and escalation of concerning tracings. He/she advances evidence-based practices, and mentors others to achieve and grow in the role of the professional nurse. As a member of the NEST team, he/she serves as a leader, change agent, and coordinator of patient care services within the obstetric service line. Takes a leadership role in the overall design and implementation of a patient-centered care delivery system that facilitates achievement of patient outcomes, supports continuity of care and patient flow between care delivery sites, and enhances patient safety and caregiver satisfaction. Is accountable to patients and families for the processes and outcomes of care during an episode of care. Is accountable to peers for the advancement of group practice, and to the Nurse Manager for the totality of work performance. This role is aimed at the nurse who is a clinical and professional leader at the unit level. He/she advances evidence-based practices, leads unit governance initiatives, and mentors others to achieve and grow in the role of the professional nurse.
Principal Responsibilities And Tasks
The following statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. These are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job duties performed by personnel so classified.
Clinical Practice/Care Delivery
- Monitors tracing for fetal physiological parameter abnormalities. Assesses individual fetal monitoring tracings and documentation of interventions done by the care team when abnormalities are identified by the NEST nurses.
- Notifies the primary registered nurse or charge nurse of concerning electronic fetal heart rate and uterine activity tracing findings, poor-quality signal, etc. Follows the established chain of command for escalation of concerning fetal tracings.
- Utilizes Electronic Medical Records to validate findings from remote fetal monitoring station.
- Serves as a professional resource for L&D nurses; mentors others to achieve and grow in the role of the professional nurse. Communicate in an efficient and effective manner with all members of the care team.
- Advances evidence-based clinical practice within the NEST; consistently integrates evidence into practice and uses this as a firm foundation for the NEST.
- Utilizes clinical expertise to teach other nurses. Role models Patient-Centered Care and mentors others in their growth.
Practice Focus Areas:
Focus on the use of National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) fetal monitoring terminology in the interpretation and communication of fetal heart tracing in a timely manner.
Professional Development
- Serves as preceptor, coach, and mentor to new nurses and students. Contributes to ancillary personnel skills and development, attends educational offerings and in-services independently.
- Contributes to the development of unit-based peer review processes; actively participates in individual peer review feedback
- Actively engages in advancing own practice. Mentors and coaches others to achieve/maintain competency required for the patient population served.
- Lead unit processes for the development of ancillary personnel’s skills and development.
Practice Focus Areas:
- Leads unit-based Professional Development governance activities; participates actively in divisional and organizational efforts.
- Coordinates unit-level education appropriate for the patient population.
- Oversees program-based competency validation processes.
- Oversees unit orientation program.
- Provides health-related contributions through community services, such as health fairs.
Service Quality/Safety
- Models customer service behaviors and service recovery skills.
- Leads efforts to address unit-based Nursing Sensitive Quality Indicators (NSQI) improvement opportunities; develops/implements and evaluates action plans.
- Leads unit-based performance improvement initiatives by designing, implementing, evaluating, and disseminating results.
- Monitors patient safety standards; actively contributes to the development and implementation of improvement plans.
- Participates in some or all elements of research.
Practice Focus Areas:
- Identifies and integrates “Best practices” for communication.
- Trends quality data on a consistent basis and leads efforts to address deficiencies.
- Oversees Joint Commission and other regulatory site visits (mock and actual); helps prepare unit and staff on an ongoing basis.
Unit Operations
- Performs charge role as scheduled; mentors new charge nurses. Assists with orientation of newly hired RNs and supporting those newly off orientation.
- Serves as a liaison for L&D units.
- Roles models and holds peers accountable for maintaining AACN guidelines for Healthy Work Environment (communication, collaboration, effective decision-making, recognition, leadership, staffing).
Practice Focus Areas:
- Leads unit-based governance initiatives.
- Leads unit-based efforts addressing elements of Healthy Work Environment.
- Leads unit-based Reward and Recognition activities.
- Leads unit-based operations efforts, such as equipment maintenance, scheduling, supply utilization monitoring etc.
- Leads unit-based peer review processes.
Qualifications
Education & Experience
- BSN Required
- Licensure as a Registered Nurse in the state of Maryland, or eligible to practice due to Compact state agreements outlined through the MD Board of Nursing is required.
- Electronic Fetal Monitoring Certification is required.
- Minimum of 5 years labor and delivery experience is required.
- Demonstrated evidence of professional growth and development through at least one of the following:
- Current and active specialty certification
- Current matriculation or completion of a degree or certificate program (Post Baccalaureate or higher, 12 credits or greater) within past 24 months
- Formal teaching within past 24 months (portfolios including “Formal Teaching” require a signed “Approval for Formal Teaching” document)
- Member of a professional association board or committee within past 24 months (not a hospital committee),
- Actively participates as a peer reviewer for a professional journal (minimum of 2/year, portfolios including “Peer Reviewer” require a signed “Peer Reviewer Validation Form”)
- Maintenance of 20 continuing education hours /24 months.*
- Calculated in hours such as 30 minutes = 0.5 hour. Proof of attendance is required IV.
Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities
- Demonstrated ability to assume a clinical leadership role. Demonstrated effectiveness as a multidisciplinary team member.
- Demonstrated ability to use computer systems in order to manage patient information.
- Demonstrated knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the patient population(s) served. Ability to demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and ability to assess data reflective of the patient’s requirements relative to his or her population-specific and age specific needs.
- Demonstrated/documented highly effective interpersonal and written and verbal communication skills.
Working Conditions
- Weekend, shift work, holiday, on-call, and overtime may be required.
- Work requires constantly sitting or standing at a workstation and repetitive work with both hands.
Patient Safety
Ensures patient safety in the performance of job functions and through participation in hospital, department or unit patient safety initiatives.
- Takes action to correct observed risks to patient safety.
- Reports adverse events and near misses to appropriate management authority.
- Implements policies, procedure, and standards consistently in the performance of assigned duties.
- Develops effective working relationships and maintains good communication with other team members.
- Identifies possible risks in processes, procedures, devices and communicates the same to those in charge.
Additional Information
All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
Compensation
- Pay Range: $39.00 - $53.81 hourly
- Shift Differentials
- Sign-on Bonus
- Review the 2024-2025 UMMS Benefits Guide
Like many employers, UMMS is being targeted by cybercriminals impersonating our recruiters and offering fake job opportunities. We will never ask for banking details, personal identification, or payment via email or text. If you suspect fraud, please contact us at careers@umms.edu.
UMMS Rolls Out Virtual 'NEST' to Support Bedside Care Teams in Labor and Delivery Units Across the System | University of Maryland Medical System
