The Safety & Quality Specialist (SQS) is a local/departmental leader who provides oversight for patient safety and quality initiatives that improve patient outcomes within a defined patient care area. The SQS utilizes safety and improvement framework to build, sustain, and spread improvement. The SQS effectively partners with nursing and medical leadership to determine quality and safety priorities that are in alignment with organizational goals. This role inspires leaders within the clinical area to fully engage in improvements that achieve high outcomes, works to ensure there are zero events of preventable harm, and acquires, validates, interprets, and transforms data into actionable information. Will work to develop skills and expertise in patient safety, quality improvement, change management, high reliability, and project management.

This role demands strong leadership, relationship building skills, and the ability to influence multidisciplinary stakeholders and leadership partners and on critical and sometimes contentious change. The SQS is an advocate for patient safety efforts and quality improvement within the organization. They should be contributing to and cultivating a psychologically safe patient safety culture.

1. Assists with development, implementation, evaluation, and sustainment of a unit-based safety and quality program: In collaboration with nursing and medical leadership, develops and communicates safety/quality goals and metrics relevant to the clinical area.
2. Acts as a coach, teacher, and mentor for projects, teams and to leadership on effective approaches to leading unit and hospital-wide initiatives: Fluent in improvement and safety methodology and tools. Serves as a resource for teams.
3. Investigates unit-based near miss and harmful events: Conducts ACAs when needed and assures timely, accurate completion of reviews.
4. Supports unit level structures and processes related to safety & quality initiatives: Develops/facilitates meetings and identifies safety/quality trends.
5. Collaborates with the Safety team, Quality team, Harm Prevention Program Manager, Infection Prevention & Control team, Nursing Professional Development team, Regulatory Readiness Manager and other subject matter experts across the organization to support the Quality & Safety Program.
6. Additional miscellaneous duties and responsibilities may be assigned from time to time by management.

Required: Bachelor's Degree Nursing or related field

Preferred Education: Master's Degree Nursing or related field (MHA, MBA, or other related field)

Licensed as a Registered Nurse, Respiratory Therapist or other related licensure upon hire; CPHQ and LSSGB within 2 years of hire

Minimum of three (3) years of experience in an acute health care setting required. One (1) year of professional quality or safety related experience required. Pediatric experience preferred.