Nurse Coordinator, Heart Failure - Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute Full-time Days

The salary range for this position is $38.50 - $61.60 (Hourly Rate)

Placement within the salary range is dependent on several factors such as relevant work experience and internal equity. For positions represented by a labor union, placement within the salary range is guided by the rules outlined in the collective bargaining agreement.

We offer a wide range of benefits that provide employees with tools and resources to improve their physical, emotional, and financial well-being while providing protection for unexpected life events. Please visit our Benefits section located at jobs.nm.org/benefits to learn more.

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Description

The Nurse Coordinator, Heart Failure (HF)  reflects the mission, vision, and values of Northwestern Memorial, adheres to the organization’s Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, and complies with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines and all other regulatory and accreditation standards.

Heart failure is a major public health problem resulting in substantial morbidity and mortality. Heart failure patients experience a high incidence of hospitalizations, longer than expected lengths of stay and high readmission rates. This results is a patient experience that is not ideal (patient satisfaction and outcomes). The BCVI is working to improve care delivery for heart failure patients, reduce utilization of resources and associated costs and improve outcomes (reduce length of stay and readmission rates).

The Nurse Coordinator, Heart Failure (HF) will ensure consistent, evidenced-based care is delivered consistently to heart failure patients.  Support in managing the patient’s care from admission to discharge by coordinating with physicians and nursing staff, social work, dietary, and managed care.

Under the supervision of the BCVI Operations Manager and/or staff physician provides professional nursing care to Heart Failure patients.  This includes:

• Assesses variety of patients needs including education and discharge planning; works with other caregivers to ensure needs met, including coordinating follow-up appointment
• Functions as conduit between inpatient and outpatient setting; providing follow up discharge phone call when appropriate and participating in transition from inpatient to outpatient as necessary
• Establishes and maintains a courteous and professional support with patients, family members, visitors, co-workers, and referring physicians
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills required for patient education
• Demonstrates the ability to work in critical situations:  emergencies and when patients/families are in crises
• Knowledge of heart failure management, cardiology procedures and cardiac surgeries
• Possesses computer skills in order to prepare spreadsheets and enter data
• Assuring that the documentation of care and the patient’s follow-up information is available in the medical record. 
• May include seeing patients within the clinic post-procedure and working with patients during long-term follow-up. 

Managing the patient’s care is coordinated with the physicians and is done in collaboration with social work, dietary, managed care and insurance verification.

Responsibilities:

Directly interacts with the multi-disciplinary care team to enhance patient care for the heart failure population.

This individual would monitor current heart failure care processes (both inpatient and outpatient), identify areas in need of improvement or inconsistencies, communicate to identified key leadership and/or key departments and implement corrective action plans to resolve unfavorable outcomes.  The corrective action plan would be multi-dimensional as the heart failure patient pathway touches multiple processes: ED, Medicine (teaching and hospitalist), and Cardiology.  This individual will monitor and/or collect heart failure related outcomes data and communicate results to the Outcomes Program and key leadership which will allow us to enhance our clinical care through our knowledge gained through quality-enhancement and outcomes data.

Additional Functions:

• Monitor/follow all heart failure inpatients

• Daily assessment that appropriate care plans/protocols are being followed; document findings
• Daily assessment that appropriate education is being provided, when necessary; document findings
• Participate in multidisciplinary heart failure team meetings and rounds
• Work with staff nurses and pharmacists to assure patient and family education
• Support nursing staff in preparing patients for discharge and follow-up
• Perform chart audits to determine compliance with heart failure protocols and nursing education
• Conduct informal surveys with patients and nursing staff regarding effectiveness of heart failure educational materials

• Act as the resource person regarding heart failure care processes and protocols and educational resources for all physicians and staff nurses
• Lead interdisciplinary clinical groups to define, measure, and analyze heart failure related practice concerns
• Lead improvement activities utilizing DMAIC, Lean and other performance improvement tools, as warranted

• Maintain abreast of hospital wide efforts related to heart failure, length of stay and readmission

Other Responsibilities

• Foster a positive environment through open, respectful communication patterns
• Adhoc projects as warranted

 

Technical Excellence/Quality Care

1. Coordinates and develops educational programs and tools for patients, families and other health care personnel.
   1. Evaluates learning needs and abilities of patients and families, and adapts education to meet those needs
   2. Documents education and participates in the development of the educational plan
   3. Assists in preparation of department-specific education for patients and/or colleagues
2. Collaborates with research investigators and nurses as warranted:
   1. Assist as indicated in clinical trials.
   2. Identify appropriate candidates for enrollment in clinical research.
   3. Ensure compliance with research protocols through obtaining consent, blood work orders and results, recognizing adverse side effects and documentation on flow sheet and medical records.

1. Acts as mentor to new staff.

Inpatient

1. Assist in discharge planning with case management (D/C planning and SW) Staff RN; includes patient/family tracking, home health, discharge meds and RTO appointments.
2. Provide formal and informal teaching to nurses, patients, and other staff on an ongoing basis.
3. Serve as a resource to patients, families and staff.
4. Assist staff to facilitate patient care as needed.
5. Participate in new staff orientation as needed
   
    

Outpatient

1. Meet with patients in the clinic as warranted to reinforce education and ensure a seamless transition from inpatient to outpatient setting.

Additional Functions 

 

1. Hours to be determined at time of hire.
2. Professional Development
   1. Assume responsibility for own continuing education.

Contribute to nursing and hospital committees as heart failure designate by attending and actively participating on committees or meetings organizations.

Qualifications

Required:                 

• Bachelor’s degree in nursing or other related field
• 2-5 year of work in healthcare
• The individual shall be qualified by training; experience, interest, demonstrated current ability, and shall be willing and able to discharge the duties of his/her office
• The individual shall possess, interpersonal, and time-management skills, organizational skills and a working knowledge of trends in cardiovascular disease
• Registered nurse in the state of Illinois

Desired:

• Specialty certification in the clinical area of focus
• 3 or more years of heart failure experience

Equal Opportunity

Northwestern Medicine is an equal opportunity employer (disability, VETS) and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected status.

Background Check

Northwestern Medicine conducts a background check that includes criminal history on newly hired team members and, at times, internal transfers. If you are offered a position with us, you will be required to complete an authorization and disclosure form that gives Northwestern Medicine permission to run the background check.  Results are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and we follow all local, state, and federal laws, including the Illinois Health Care Worker Background Check Act.

Artificial Intelligence Disclosure

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position, however, all employment decisions will be made by a person. 

Benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits that provide employees with tools and resources to improve their physical, emotional, and financial well-being while providing protection for unexpected life events. Please visit our Benefits section to learn more.

Sign-on Bonus Eligibility (if sign-on bonus offered for position): Internal employees and rehires who left Northwestern Medicine within 1 year are not eligible for the sign on bonus. Exception: New graduate internal employees seeking their first licensed clinical position at NM may be eligible depending upon the job family.