Clinical Nurse Specialist – District Stroke

Overview

Reporting to the Program Director, the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) stroke will provide comprehensive, specialized, and advanced care for patients in the clinical specialty of stroke nursing. The successful candidate will practice within the interprofessional team model and promote best practices in stroke care to enhance patient safety, outcomes, and access to care for the TIA/Stroke patient population. The CNS will promote excellence in care of adults through direct patient care, program design, clinical consultation, staff education and research.

The CNS serves as a consultant and resource to nurses/nursing educators, physicians, interprofessional teams and external partners. The CNS will work in close collaboration with the District Stroke Coordinator, District Medical Lead and Patient Care Manager of the integrated stroke unit. As a recognized District Stroke Centre, Mackenzie Health is accountable for providing leadership, development, implementation, and integration of stroke care throughout the district.

The CNS will work with the Central East Stroke Network and other external partner organizations to initiate and sustain strategies that will support the creation of a seamless system of care to ensure best possible outcomes for stroke patients.

Note:
This description reflects the responsibilities and qualifications of the role; it does not imply a job offer or guarantee of employment.

• Contribute to safe, quality care by sharing specialized expert knowledge through the consultation process utilizing the domains of advanced practice of care; this may focus on clinical issues relevant to structure (environment, delivery of care); process (developing nursing standards, program development); or outcomes.
• Identify and evaluate clinical issues and communicate findings appropriately.
• Work collaboratively with interdisciplinary teams and the district stroke team to determine clinical program needs and develop/ drive program workplans.
• Use a continuous quality improvement approach to participate in the evaluation, development and implementation of education, policies and protocols that promote excellence in nursing practice.
• Initiate and maintain links with other stroke advanced practice nurses in Central East Stroke Network to advance clinical outcomes for patients within the district.
• Liaise with nursing personnel and other disciplines to ensure patients receive needed and appropriate treatment in a timely, effective, and safe manner.
• Provide direct, specialized care and/or consultation to patients, families, health care professionals and community partners where advanced nursing expertise is required.
• Research, develop, and implement educational programs (formal and informal) for patients, families, and healthcare professionals on behalf of the District Stroke Centre and district partners.
• Facilitate an environment conducive to collaboration and continuous professional development.
• Contribute to the continuing education of nurses, other healthcare professionals and students in the management of specific health problems through coaching, role modeling, mentoring, preceptorship and/or through formal presentations.
• Disseminate and facilitate the implementation of recent innovations and research findings relevant to nursing practice and client outcomes.
• Interpret, utilize, and promote the use of current evidence, valid research, and theory as the basis of nursing practice.
• Share knowledge through presentations at professional meetings and through publication in scholarly journals.
• Evaluate present practice at the individual and system levels considering current research findings.
• Active participant in relevant professional activities/associations.
• Support capacity building approaches to promote best practices, standards, and guidelines for the delivery of stroke care across the continuum of care in the region.
• Support and promote research and knowledge transfer activities, at the district, regional and provincial levels.
• Assigns appropriate activities to other staff and volunteers, provides effective supervision, leadership, and direction.
• Provides corporate leadership for stroke…