Directs the provision of quality patient care in collaboration with the Vice President of Operations/ Chief Nursing Officer by identifying, analyzing, and refining clinical and system processes and operations to improve and ensure positive patient outcomes. Utilizes human and financial resources effectively to ensure the achievement of operational imperatives within the Hospital division. Contributes to the development and maintenance of a professional practice environment to achieve positive patient care outcomes and staff satisfaction. Depending upon hospital structure, reports to and assists either the Chief Nursing Officer or VP of Operations in the development of policies and goals that address patient care operations. In all reporting structures, this role will maintain accountability to the Chief Nursing Officer relative to clinical nursing practice.

Responsibilities:
 

• Participate in workforce planning and employment decisions including selecting talented surgical services leaders, mentoring others and applying appropriate corrective disciplinary actions to mitigate workplace behavior problems. Develop relationships and integrate all team members including physicians into the team’s work. Establish and maintain good rapport and cooperative relationship with peers, nursing staff, hospital staff, medical staff, management, and other.Ensures provision of exemplary patient care; validates that care is provided according to current standards of practice; supports and monitors the quality improvement program at the department and institutional level. Ensures patient satisfaction and implements measures to correct perceived inefficiencies in care and service.Initiates and promotes communication to affect coordinated integration of clinical support services required for comprehensive, interdisciplinary patient care. Enhances administrative efficiencies through effective use of verbal and written communication. Demonstrates sound negotiating skills.
• Utilize hospital data management systems to access information and analyze data in planning for surgical processes and systems. Lead/Form problem solving teams around the clinical improvement issues. Recommend changes in the division as required to positively support the delivery of quality patient care. Serve as a change agent, assisting other in understanding the importance, necessity, impact and process of change. Establish the provision of quality care as a core value, guiding principle and primary accountability in all aspects of surgical services. Recommend changes in clinical care or process improvement based on clinical findings, team recommendations and research literature to promote cost/quality outcomes. Collaborate with leadership to determine patient care quality improvement goals and objectives. Monitor clinical activities to identify unexpected risk and implement patient safety initiatives. Demonstrate initiative to address complex, high-risk problems and translate them into opportunities and challenges. Share nursing sensitive quality outcomes in appropriate leadership forums.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of a surgical services environment to achieve positive patient care outcomes and staff satisfaction. Articulate and ensure compliance with patient care and nursing standards established by regulatory agencies (e.g. PA DOH, CMS, and the Joint Commission), as well as regional patient care standards and standards published by professional organizations. Recommend changes to policies and procedures at all levels of the organization Collaborate with professionals across the UPMC to identify and support joint educational opportunities. Support the planning, implementation and evaluation of the nursing programs including orientation and continuing education in nursing activities. Role models, encourages, mentors and monitors other to routinely utilize evidence-based data for management and clinical decision making. Participate in professional organizations to enhance personal growth and facilitate collaborate relationships at a regional, national and international level. Promotes the ongoing development of the Professional Practice Council. Promotes peer to peer accountability. Coach and advise professional staff in the formulation of their professional development plan.
• Engage all levels of staff in decision making related to their practice. Develop and evaluate clinical systems and facilitate that delivery of comprehensive patient/family care across the continuum. Recognize the need for a varied leadership style based on the situation and developmental stage of an individual or group. Develop nursing leaders and participate in successful planning activities. Create a structure and necessary support that promotes and allow for staff input and consideration.
• Provide direction and support to Surgical Servies leaders and direct reports by identifying, analyzing, and refining clinical and system processes and operations to improve and ensure positive patient outcomes. Effectively communicate and model the shared mission, vision and values of Surgical Services and UPMC. Assist with the development of the hospital Nursing strategic plan. Demonstrate philosophy of lifelong learning. Facilitate planning, implementation and evaluation of patient flow initiatives to enhance patient care delivery and patient satisfaction. Define programmatic and financial goals consistent with the short and long-term goals of the program, the division and UPMC. Analyze performance from the business and financial perspectives and assist to achieve financial goals and objectives. Identify factors, internal and external to the system that will affect the programmatic and financial viability of the Program and intervene appropriately to optimize desired outcomes. Develop short-term, long-range plans and budgets based on the division’s goals and objectives and presents recommendations. Promote a customer service approach and ensures patient care outcomes as well as department goals are achieved.
• Achieves the outcomes of the organization in relation to core measures, regulatory influences, pay for performance, HCAHPS, OASCAHPS (if applicable for scope), staff and customer satisfaction and identifies areas for ongoing growth and development. Conducts an analysis of clinical variance trends and directs programmatic activities which are congruent to and assists in achieving organization operational imperatives and implements clinical practice changes. Collaborates with medical staff and key stakeholders to improve patient outcomes; set clinical quality priorities, recommend and implement professional improvements and initiatives and implement service line-based patient safety initiatives. Identifies and participates in research activities; promotes and utilizes evidence-based practice. Identifies appropriate risk assessment strategies and leads risk reduction strategies within service line.Monitors compliance with policies of regulatory agencies regarding all appropriate agencies (TJC, DOH, CMS) and environmental health and safety.
• Prepares annual operating and capital budgets for the services divisions, with attention to department and organizational goals, establishes standards of performance and economic constraints; demonstrates creativity and initiative and cost containment and operational effectiveness activities.Analyzes and controls financial performance of service area to ensure optimal efficiency and resource utilization within an established budget. Demonstrates sound judgment in the planning, allocation and/or authorization of budgeted funds for clinical and program needs. Operates within defined fiscal parameters relative to testing volume.Build trust collaborative relationships with staff, peers, physicians, and other disciplines and ancillary services. Assure that nursing practices are compliant to the mission and vision of the organization as well as regulatory and other healthcare agency standards (e.g. PA DOH, CMS, and The Joint Commission), and the policies of UPMC contribute to the development and maintenance of a professional practice environment to achieve positive patient outcomes and staff satisfaction.