What are the responsibilities and job description for the Nursing Professional Development Specialist position at University of Connecticut (Uconn) Health?
Job Detail
Job Title:
Nursing Professional Development Specialist
Department:
81100-JDH-Prof Prac and Clin Excellence
Location:
Farmington
FTE%:
1
Shift
1
Search #:
2026-1307
Closing Date:
06/04/2026
Recruiter:
McNamara, Elizabeth
Additional Links:
- This position is Benefit eligible; click here for an overview of available benefits.
- This position is covered by the UHP Bargaining Unit; click here to review the current UHP Contract.
- This position is in Salary group UHP-13; click here to review the current UHP Pay Plan.
UConn Health is searching for a Behavioral Health Nursing Professional Development Specialist (NPDS) to join our patient-focused team. Gain experience in a world-class facility located in John Dempsey Hospital (Farmington, CT), as part of the Professional Practice and Clinical Excellence Department.
This role supports inpatient behavioral health and procedural areas, and works in collaboration with nursing leadership to develop and influence onboarding/orientation, competency management, education, role development, collaborative partnerships, and inquiry. The NPDS is an essential member of the nursing leadership team who promotes the alignment of NPD and practice excellence for UConn Health
The Nursing Professional Development Specialist (NPDS) is a Registered Nurse with NPD practice judgement and expertise who influences professional role competence and growth of learners in an interprofessional healthcare environment. The NPDS is responsible for supporting learners within the context and framework of the Nursing Professional Development Scope & Standards of Practice as approved by the American Nurses Association.
SCHEDULE: 40 hours/week, Monday-Friday with hours predominantly 8am-4:30pm, 30 minute unpaid meal break.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES :
Ability to plan, develop, deliver, and evaluate educational programs.
Leadership skills and a commitment to education as a methodology for promoting continuous quality improvement in the delivery of patient care and services.
Knowledge of the principles/theories of adult learning.
Knowledge of nursing orientation and onboarding plans.
Strong skills in the process of educational needs assessments.
Considerable knowledge of nursing interventions and current clinical literature.
Ability to incorporate research findings and best practices into standards of care.
Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
Working knowledge of high reliability strategies.
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Must be able to work independently as well as part of a collaborative team.
Demonstrates strong interpersonal skills.
EXAMPLES OF DUTIES:
Orientation/Onboarding responsibilities :
Designs, facilitates, and implements orientation processes, new graduate RN Transition to Practice Program, and role transitions with a focus on retention and growth.
Coordinates and facilitates orientation classes for new hires.
Ensures orientation content aligns with policies and procedures.
Incorporates topics required by regulatory and accrediting agencies.
Assigns preceptors in collaboration with department managers.
Facilitates, oversees, and guides clinical orientations for new hires and role transitions.
Creates and revises new hire orientation competency checklists.
Ensures documentation of orientation progress and completions
Competency Management Responsibilities :
Manages competency of new employees
Coordinates with department managers to ensure ongoing competence of staff.
Provides staff training to ensure competence with new processes, equipment, and others.
Validates clinical performance.
Develops, coordinates, implements, and evaluates competency assessment programs.
Coordinates, implements, and teaches staff required certification classes such as BLS, ACLS, PALS, CPI, and others.
Education Responsibilities:
Conducts practice gap analyses and learning needs assessments.
Develops, implements, and evaluates education programs.
Coordinates continuing education programming in adherence with accreditation requirements and regulatory readiness.
Partners with interdisciplinary departments for regulatory readiness assessments and action plans
Participates in Root Cause Analyses and implementation of corrective action plans.
Demonstrates innovation through teaching and learning methods.
Uses technology for educational programming.
Provides just-in-time education and coaching.
Fosters acceptance, adoption, and action towards change
Role Development responsibilities :
Develops and maintains role transition programs for new to practice staff and staff transitioning from one specialty or role to another, in alignment with accreditation criteria.
Develops and provides initial and ongoing preceptor development programs.
Supports succession planning.
Conducts career coaching and mentoring.
Advises and supports for obtaining of nursing professional certifications (e.g., MedSurg certification, Progressive Care Certified Nurse)
Creates, supports, and/or implements clinical advancement models.
Coaches and mentors' staff for clinical advancement
Advises for academic education planning.
Collaborative Partnerships Responsibilities:
Collaborates with other departments as needed to facilitate high-quality, cost-effective patient care.
Develops and provides interprofessional education in collaboration with interprofessional colleagues.
Participates in interprofessional councils/committees.
Manages and facilitates clinical/academic partnerships.
Manages placements of nursing students' clinical rotations
Precepts graduate nursing students' practicum experience
Establishes effective communication networks with unit and organizational leadership.
Collaborates with interprofessional teams, leaders, stakeholders, and others to facilitate nursing practice and positive outcomes.
Partners with shared governance councils to effect nursing practice and generate positive outcomes.
Facilitates excellence initiatives (e.g., Magnet, Beacon, PTAP)
Inquiry Responsibilities:
Oversees and participates in research, evidence-based practice, and quality improvement initiatives.
Manages, updates, and develops patient care policies in collaboration with stakeholders.
Conducts audits, as necessary.
Supports the dissemination of new knowledge and the use of evidence to guide clinical practice and improve patient care.
Other duties as assigned within the scope and range of job responsibilities.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS :
Registered Nurse with a current license
Incumbents must possess and maintain during employment an RN license to practice nursing in the State of Connecticut.
Master's degree in Nursing or Education and a minimum of two (2) years of experience in an acute care environment (or related clinical experience). Can be substituted with current enrollment in a Master's Degree program (in Nursing or Education) and five (5) years of experience in an acute care environment (or related clinical experience).
PREFERRED EDUCATION, CREDENTIAL(S) AND EXPERIENCE:
Recent experience in behavioral health nursing
Minimum one (1) year in education or nursing professional development
Five (5) or more years of relevant clinical nursing experience, with 3 of those years including relevant teaching experience.
Nursing Professional Development Certification or clinical certifications. If not certified at the time of hire, is required to become certified within one year of employment
BLS Certification
FULL TIME EQUIVALENT SALARY MINIMUM : $100,048.00 (more based on experience)
WHY UCONN HEALTH
UConn Health is a vibrant, integrated academic medical center that is entering an era of unprecedented growth in all three areas of its mission: academics, research, and clinical care. A commitment to human health and well-being has been of utmost importance to UConn Health since the founding of the University of Connecticut schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine in 1961. Based on a strong foundation of groundbreaking research, first-rate education, and quality clinical care, we have expanded our medical missions over the decades. In just over 50 years, UConn Health has evolved to encompass more research endeavors, to provide more ways to access our superior care, and to innovate both practical medicine and our methods of educating the practitioners of tomorrow.
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Salary : $100,048