Company Description

At Northwestern Medicine, every patient interaction makes a difference in cultivating a positive workplace. This patient-first approach is what sets us apart as a leader in the healthcare industry. As an integral part of our team, you'll have the opportunity to join our quest for better healthcare, no matter where you work within the Northwestern Medicine system. At Northwestern Medicine, we pride ourselves on providing competitive benefits: from tuition reimbursement and loan forgiveness to 401(k) matching and lifecycle benefits, we take care of our employees. Ready to join our quest for better?

Job Description

The Telestroke Network Outreach RN reflects the mission, vision, and values of NM, 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.

The Outreach RN is a Registered Nurse with experience in and knowledge of stroke and cerebrovascular disease. Practicing under the direction of and in collaboration with the physicians, the Outreach RN ensures coordination of the clinical aspects of patient care throughout all phases of referral/transfer across NMs Telestroke Network spoke hospitals. The Outreach RN will be in continual communication with the Medical Director of the NMH Comprehensive Stroke Center (CSC), System Medical Director of Telestroke Network, the CSC Stroke Program Manager, and the Manager of the NMH Telestroke Network, to maintain consistency in the continuum of care for patients. 

The vision for the Northwestern Stroke Network is that it will be the largest academic stroke program in the region and will be recognized as among the very best stroke programs in the nation. We will accomplish this by providing:

• Advanced care for cerebrovascular disease, where and when the patient needs the care: this can be done by telemedicine consultation, image-sharing, phone consultation, and/or care at NMH and NMG
• An expanding network of hospitals, which rely upon our faculty for providing stroke care to their patient populations (including via telemedicine in the ER)
• Consistent quality of stroke care across the Northwestern Medicine system
• Innovative research to understand and solve the complex problems of cerebrovascular disease.
• Educational opportunities for health care professionals and the public

Responsibilities:

Applies scientific/evidence-based approach toward various nursing practices/processes:

• Complies with changes in clinical practice and standards.
• Participates in data collection when needed.
• Consults appropriate experts with practice questions.

Under the direction of and in collaboration with physician and operations leadership, will communicate and coordinate care across all regional referral hospitals. This includes:

• Support Telestroke Operations:
  • Provide training and ongoing in-service to telestroke providers.
  • Ensure all equipment and software is in functional working order and partnering with vendors to troubleshoot and solve any technical breakdowns.
  • Maintain a positive relationship with equipment vendors.
  • Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of outreach activities, project status, and training sessions.
  • Prepare regular reports summarizing project outcomes, metric performance, and compliance status.
  • Establish a system for ongoing monitoring and reporting of key metrics related to stroke care and Telestroke program performance.
  • Analyze data to identify trends and areas for improvement, taking proactive measures to address deficiencies.
  • Stay current with advancements in stroke care and telemedicine and incorporate relevant updates into training materials.
  • Attends Monthly Stroke Quality Meetings and Stroke Divisional Meetings.
  • Initiate and follow-up on proposals/projects to optimize operations within the telestroke program.
  • Lead and support Telestroke related projects, ensuring timely completion and achievement of project goals.
• Spoke Hospitals:
  • Serve as a liaison between sites to facilitate information exchange and problem-solving, and foster effective communication and collaboration between the Telestroke hub and spoke sites.
  • Conduct monthly data reviews capturing telestroke metrics for the previous month.
  • Conduct biannual meetings, which function as a space to share data, and communicate processes, ideas and concerns with stakeholders at the spoke sites and respective hubs.
  • Intermittent site visits, and participate in quarterly stewardship meetings.
  • Prepare reports on patient procedures for transferred patients to individual spoke hospitals, including interventions, outcome, and disposition.
  • Develop and deliver training programs for healthcare providers at spoke sites on stroke assessment, treatment, and Telestroke technology usage.
  • Provide follow-up to spoke hospitals, including feedback to their stroke coordinators/teams, and letters to regional providers on patient outcomes.
  • Assist spoke hospitals with developing transfer protocols as needed in collaboration with NMH.
  • Collaborate with NMH CSC Stroke Program Manager for monitoring stroke patient transfer processes and issues related to transfers.
  • Communicate feedback from spoke team to NM telestroke (CSC Operations Committee Meeting) leadership.
  • Process Improvement:
    • Collaborate with spoke site teams to assess current workflows and identify opportunities for process improvement in stroke care delivery.
    • Implement evidence-based best practices to streamline processes and enhance patient care.
  • Implementation Process
    • Provide Telestroke implementation training sessions for clinical staff, physicians and leadership. 
    • Continued in-service education for professional staff on stroke, cerebrovascular procedures, trends, and issues.
    • Track progress to ensure successful outcomes.
  • Participate in and lead quality improvement initiatives to enhance the overall quality of stroke care at spoke sites.
  • Ensure spoke sites' compliance with Joint Commission standards related to stroke care, including readiness for surveys and audits.
• Outreach:
  • Clinical resource for outreach and planning.
  • Assist with spoke hospital development as certified stroke centers.
  • Proofing clinical content for development of clinical protocols, brochures, and other outreach resources.
  • Participate in outreach and business development related to telestroke.

Qualifications

Required:

• Current license as a Registered Nurse – State of Illinois
• Bachelor of Nursing Degree (BSN)
• Two years practice as a registered nurse
• Strong clinical background with interest in stroke or neurological care
• Project management experience and knowledge of process improvement methodologies
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Proficiency in data analysis and Microsoft Office applications

Preferred:

• Experience in stroke or neurologic care

Additional Information

Northwestern Medicine is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer 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.