RN Clinical Educator

Hospice of San Joaquin is the oldest not-for-profit hospice, with over 46 years. We serve all of San Joaquin and Stanislaus Counties. We are committed to continuing to be the leader in ensuring the quality of the journey, from a serious illness to the end of life, and to honor our mission by honoring life by ensuring patients and their Caregivers are the focus of everything we do. We are seeking a Dynamic, self-motivated Hospice Clinical Educator who thrives in a fast-paced environment and supports our mission.

Sign-On Bonus:

***$1,000.00 for Registered Nurse paid out in 2 equal payments over 12 months***

POSITION PURPOSE/SUMMARY:

The RN Clinical Educator provides training and education to Hospice of San Joaquin clinicians, as well as the clinical staff of our community partners, to foster an understanding of end-of-life care. The Hospice Educator will also support Nursing Leadership and the Chief Clinical Officer in developing and monitoring clinical quality and compliance standards that align with Hospice conditions of payment and participation.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES/ACCOUNTABILITY

In collaboration with the Chief Clinical Officer or designee, serves as a resource to Clinical Managers in the training and development of hospice clinicians (RN, LVN, SW, Chaplain, and HHA):

1. Develops and coordinates a comprehensive nursing orientation program.
2. Holds an annual skills lab.
3. Oversees the development and ongoing use of HSJ’s simulation lab to train clinical staff on established visit/patient care models.
4. In collaboration with the Chief Clinical Officer and Nursing leadership, supports ongoing clinical quality efforts, including:
5. Identifies and develops clinical documentation and patient care standards in alignment with state/federal regulations and best-known practices.
6. Provides training to clinicians on documentation/patient care standards.
7. Monitors the quality of clinical documentation/patient care via regular audits.
8. Collaborates with clinical supervisors in providing focused training activities to address identified performance improvement opportunities.

• Develops, coordinates, and presents continuing educational/certification programs to Hospice clinicians, including:

1. Oversees HHA In-Service training in compliance with CMS regulations. Responsible for HHA/CNA and CE program license renewal and notification of licensing for any changes to approved topics and instructors.
2. Maintains files of lesson plans for all programs taught to the HHAs and CNAs, and all IDT in-services, and ensures training records are retained per company retention policies.
3. Responsible for maintaining authoritative and up-to-date resource information for hospice
4. Oversees In-Service training for Hospice clinicians in partnership with the HSJ’s Medical Director and Chief Clinical Officer or designee.
5. Serves as a resource to RNs, LVNs, SW, Chaplain, and HHA/CNAs regarding professional licensure renewal and hospice/palliative care certification (CHPN/A).
6. Responsible for HSJ CEU Program.

• Monitors the performance of the program under the guidance of the Compliance Officer/Chief Compliance Officer, continually taking appropriate steps, as directed, to improve patient care and promote increased patient satisfaction and quality.
• Displays proficiency in the utilization of the company’s Electronic Medical Record (EMR), assists in EHR training using MyUnity resources. Acts as an EHR resource for program staff.
• Serves as a CPR Instructor and assists with maintaining annual compliance with federal and state requirements
• Provides training to clinicians within the community on end-of-life and Hospice-specific clinical issues as needed.
• Develops, coordinates, and presents in-service trainings in SNFs, RCFEs, and medical offices.
• Assists leadership in the development of Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs) to ensure that education related to high-risk problem-prone areas is provided to address identified deficiencies.
• Provides ongoing education to All Staff related to Mandatory Annual Education requirements through in-services and other forms of education; in-person or online using the agency’s Learning System.
• Develops a tracking system and follows up with all staff members to ensure their education requirements are completed in a timely manner.
• Provides a summary of educational programs and one-on-one teaching outcomes as requested.
• Participates in identifying and suggesting improvement strategies and solutions for individuals and program challenges.
• Works in collaboration with all program departments.
• Understands and adheres to the organization’s compliance and privacy program.
• Performs ongoing audits of clinical charts using the Hospice Clinical Records Audit Tool equaling 10% of patients every quarter.

Direct Patient Care – as needed

The RN Clinical Educator may, on an as need basis, provide direct nursing care including, but not limited to, the following:

1. Actively participating in the coordination of all aspects of patient care, in accordance with current professional standards and practice.
2. Participating in admission, discharge planning, and ongoing patient assessments.
3. Developing, evaluating, and adjusting the patient’s Plan of Care (POC) as indicated; consults Clinical Manager prior to major changes in the patient’s POC.
4. Contributing to patient and family counseling and education and providing support to patients/families regarding patient care services.
5. Collaborating with physicians and staff regarding patients’ changing conditions.

Compliance and Quality Improvement

The RN Clinical Educator plays an important role in the agency’s compliance with state and federal regulations, quality assurance, and performance improvement. He or she plays a key role in providing education related to Hospice care practices within the agency and community. He or she must understand and comply with the Medicare Conditions of Participation and all Hospice of San Joaquin Policies and Procedures. Essential duties include but are not limited to:

1. Operating within his or her scope of practice and ensuring that all services are provided consistent with best practices for hospice and palliative care.
2. Utilizing Standard Universal Precautions as indicated in HSJ’s Clinical Policy on Exposure and Infection Control and HSJ’s Exposure Control Plan and Infection Control Plan.
3. Recognizing and reporting any suspected violations of the patient’s rights pursuant to HSJ’s Admissions Policy.
4. Recognizing and reporting any potential misconduct or violation of Hospice of San Joaquin’s policies, compliance standards, and federal or state laws and regulations
5. Understanding and complying with all Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements.
6. Understanding and complying with Human Resources.
7. Working with the Chief Compliance Officer as requested to monitor and improve the quality of hospice services.
8. Maintains current knowledge related to Medicare Conditions of Participation and Joint Commission's Standards to help ensure that the organization is compliant with regulatory and accreditation standards.