Quality Improvement Specialist Nursing

Hours: 16 hours weekly

Location: 20 Research Place and some Remote options

Job Profile Summary

This role focuses on developing and implementing programs to establish, maintain, and improve patient quality care standards. In addition, this role focuses on performing the following Performance Improvement/Quality duties: Identifies and executes performance improvement and quality opportunities across the enterprise, enabling successful transformations and driving cost savings, process and product quality, and achievement of business goals. Responsibilities also include partnering with business leaders to provide expert insight on existing processes and procedures, applies process improvement methodologies to achieve PI/Quality objectives, and builds process improvement capabilities. A professional individual contributor role that may direct the work of other lower level professionals or manage processes and programs. The majority of time is spent overseeing the design, implementation or delivery of processes, programs and policies using specialized knowledge and skills typically acquired through advanced education. A senior level role that requires advanced knowledge of job area typically obtained through advanced education and work experience. Typically responsible for: managing projects / processes, working independently with limited supervision, coaching and reviewing the work of lower level professionals, resolving difficult and sometimes complex problems.

Job Overview

This position is responsible for gathering, integrating, analyzing, visualizing, and interpreting data from disparate data sources to support a range of organizational quality initiatives, quality performance monitoring, and performance improvement efforts. Effectively designs and manages reports, scorecards, dashboards, and benchmarking applications that assess quality performance and guide performance improvement efforts. Effectively communicates results and findings with people at all levels of the organization.

Job Description

Minimum Qualifications:

1. Bachelor's degree in Nursing, Public Health, or related field.

2. Current licenses and certifications based on clinical expertise.

3. One (1) year of clinical experience with exposure to performance/quality improvement.

Preferred Qualifications:

1. Master's degree in Nursing, Public Health, or related field.

2. Three (3) years of clinical experience with exposure to performance/quality improvement.

Duties and Responsibilities: The duties and responsibilities listed below are intended to describe the general nature of work and are not intended to be an all-inclusive list. Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned.

1. Develops, designs, and maintains quality and patient safety dashboards for clinical leaders and other key stakeholders.

2. Identifies, analyzes, and interprets trends or patterns in complex data sets, using data to locate and define new improvement opportunities.

3. Maintains clear and detailed documentation on the peer review process.

4. Utilizes standard definitions for quality indicators.

5. Conducts occurrence screening per department, applies external performance indicators when appropriate.

6. Responds to inquiries from payers, auditors, and other external oversight bodies about quality of care issues.

7. Investigates and follows up on serious adverse events affecting patient care.

8. Elicits findings and action items from physician reviewers and assures they are properly documented.

9. Applies basic statistical techniques to data and effectively communicates the methods and findings to non-statistician team members and audiences.

10. Conducts ongoing data validation to ensure data quality and integrity, identifying and resolving any errors or discrepancies.

11. Provides high level interpretation of data analytics to clinical leaders and others.

12. Monitors quality performance related to internal organizational/system goals and external pay for performance and reputational programs.

13.Provides appropriate data for use by PI teams such as internal clinical, financial and operational data for team's consideration

14. Coordinates and facilitates organization performance improvement teams based on priorities of the PI Council.

15. Collects core measure data elements and other national, state or accreditation-required quality data.

16. Maintains system for filing peer review documents and accessing them in a timely manner.

17. Establishes standardized data collection, monitoring and reporting practices.

18. Conducts literature searches if necessary to identify current standards.

19. Conducts timely chart review.

20. Makes presentations to physicians, nursing, and other clinicians regarding interpretation of data.

Physical Requirements:

1. Requires manual dexterity using fine hand manipulation to operate computer keyboard.

2. This is largely a sedentary role, which involves sitting most of the time, but may involve movements such as walking, standing, reaching, ascending/descending stairs, and operating office equipment.

3. Frequently required to speak, hear, communicate, and exchange information.

4. Ability to see and read computer displays, read fine print, and/or normal type size print and distinguish letters, numbers and symbols.

5. Occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 lbs.

Skills & Abilities:

1. Strong analytic, problem solving and technical skills.

2. Advanced knowledge of process improvement techniques.

3. Superior interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills.

4. Ability to facilitate multidisciplinary meetings and presentations to various audiences including Senior leaders, Department Chairs, and others.

5. Superior organization skills to manage large volume of incoming data and information.

6. Knowledge of patient safety principles, clinical terminology, regulatory requirements, and quality improvement tools such as process maps and rapid-cycle improvement techniques.

7. Strong computer skills, including proficiency with MS Office (Word, Excel and Power Point), and familiarity with databases (e.g., experience using MS Access), and medical record software.

8. Flexibility in work schedule.

9. Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, with inter-professional teams and work groups.

10. Ability to successfully manage multiple tasks.

11. Ability to adapt to shifting deadlines and priorities.