Patient Educator, RN- Nephrology

The RN Patient Educator collaborates with medical practitioners and leaders to incorporate chronic disease education into the plan of care for a specialized group of patients. The incumbent in this role is responsible for helping to improve patient health outcomes by promoting and facilitating disease education with the patient and/or family member(s) thereby ensuring their active involvement in care and care decisions. He/She performs direct specialty nursing services to patients as required, ensuring adherence to regulatory standards and all related policies, procedures, and guidelines. The Patient Educator, Specialty (RN), is also accountable for the development and delivery of clinical education to patients that increases their knowledge of disease processes, improves patient engagement in care, and reduces hospital and ER admissions.

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provides chronic disease education relative to quality care for a specific patient population.
• Coordinates care between their primary care physicians, community specialists and vendor services including hospitals.
• Monitors chronic disease program performance across multiple medical centers. Identifies gaps and implements improvements in patient and quality outcomes.
• Assists with the development of strategies for quality improvement and management related to disease education.
• Collaborates with medical center leaders and PCPs to evaluate, develop and implement patient education programs through needs assessment analysis.
• Educates patients and/or family member(s) by gaining an understanding of their cultural and religious practices, emotional barriers, desire and motivation to learn, physical and/or cognitive limitations, language barriers and readiness to learn.
• Identifies opportunities to minimize fragmentation of health care for patients.
• Encourages decision-making about health care options by ensuring the patient and/or family member(s) understand the patient's health status.
• Maximizes care skills by observing the patient and/or family member(s) ability to cope with patient's health status/prognosis/outcome and pivoting communication as necessary.
• Enriches the patient’s overall health by promoting and encouraging healthy lifestyles.
• Selects, adapts and individualizes patient education information by analyzing available brochures, printed materials, videos and other resources that align with the age, culture, religious practices, language, etc. of the patient.
• Documents patient care services in patients’ chart and department records as determined by internal policies and procedures and external laws, rules and regulations.
• Improves quality results by studying, evaluating and re-designing processes; implements changes as needed.
• Develops trusting relationships with internal and external stakeholders to determine areas of opportunity supplemented with remediation strategies.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Strong business acumen and acuity
• Excellent knowledge and understanding of general nursing and nursing education functions, practices, processes, procedures, techniques and methods
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Skilled in gathering, analyzing, and interpreting information
• Strong customer service orientation required
• Ability to work across multiple centers of expertise with a range of stakeholders at different levels
• Ability to identify problems and recommend solutions
• Ability to establish priorities and coordinate work activities
• Must be detail oriented
• Ability to work effectively, both independently and as part of a team
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite products including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, database, and presentation software
• Ability and willingness to travel locally, regionally and nationwide up to of the time

EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:

• BS in Nursing (BSN) degree required
• A minimum of 2 years’ specialty care nursing experience required
• A valid, active RN license required; Nursing Compact license preferred
• Teaching/training experience required (clinical or patient education preferred)
• Experience working with geriatric patients highly desirable
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification required
• Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) or similar nursing certification a plus

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $90,000.00 - $100,000.00 per year

Experience:

• outpatient dialysis: 2 years (Preferred)
• Case management: 1 year (Preferred)

License/Certification:

• RN License (Preferred)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Norfolk, VA 23510