Kaweah Health is a publicly owned, community healthcare organization that provides comprehensive health services to the greater Visalia area in central California. With more than 5,000 employees, Kaweah Health provides state-of-the-art medicine and high-quality preventive services in our acute care hospital, specialized health centers and clinics. Our eight-campus healthcare district has 613 beds and offers comprehensive health services across a broad continuum of care.
It takes a special person to work for Kaweah Health. We serve a region where the needs are great, which makes the rewards even greater. Every day, we care for people facing unique challenges and in need of healing. Throughout it all, our focus is to make a difference, and we do — in the health of our patients, our loved ones, and our community.
Benefits Eligible
Full-Time Benefit Eligible
Work Shift
Day - 8 Hour or less Shift (United States of America)
Department
8741 Nursing Professional DevelopmentAdvanced Practice Nurses are dedicated to enhancing the health and well-being of patients/families, nurses and the healthcare system by positively influencing patient outcomes utilizing evidence-based practice and promoting excellent bedside practice through collaboration, leadership and mentoring.
QUALIFICATIONS
License /Certification
Required:
CA RN license
CA licensure as an Advanced Practice Nurse such as Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) or Nurse Practitioner (NP)
BLS
Experience
Required: Three years of recent experience in specialty clinical area.
Knowledge/Skills/Abilities
Excellent written and oral communication skills and effective interpersonal relationships.
Demonstrates critical thinking, creative thinking, and creative skill in problem solving.
Department Specific Requirements
If assigned to NICU: The three years of recent specialty experience must be in a neonatal nursing care unit, at least one year must have been in a facility with an NICU that is equivalent to a Regional (Level III) or Community (Level II) NICU. Recent level III experience required. Current certification in NICU from a nationally recognized accrediting organization preferred.
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
Essential
Demonstrates a knowledge and understanding of:
Joint Commission standards
California's Nursing Practice Act
Applicable sections of California Title 22 and 16 and all other applicable regulations
Applicable Federal guidelines and regulations including HIPAA
American Nurses Association Scope and Standards of Practice
Policies and procedures for specialty area
National standards for specialty area.
Uses knowledge and assessments of patients to design, implement and evaluate plans of patient care related to specialty area. Uses advanced theoretical and empirical knowledge of physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, and health assessment:
Assesses and intervenes in complex health care problems within a selected specialty area.
Manages populations with disease states and non-disease based etiologies to improve and to promote health care outcomes.
Collaborates with the interdisciplinary team on most complex patients within specialty area on a consistent basis.
Designs, implements, and evaluates innovative individual and/or population-based programs of care to achieve high quality, cost-effective outcomes.
Serves as a leader/consultant/mentor/change agent in advancing the practice of nursing among other nurses and across organizations to achieve outcomes:
Assists with and promotes staff development.
Assists with formal and informal education classes.
Utilizes direct clinical practice to consult, educate, coach, and mentor staff nurses in achieving optimum patient outcomes.
Mentors and coaches staff and students.
Serves as a change agent in health care settings by developing high-quality health care standards, assisting in the implementation of standards, facilitating goal setting and achievement, and evaluating outcomes.
Advances nursing practice through innovative evidence-based interventions, best-practice guidelines, and modification of professional standards and organizational policies that direct the care of nursing personnel and other providers of healthcare to improve outcomes. Evaluates the standards of clinical practice with all appropriate disciplines in the specialty area:
Uses clinical inquiry and research in an advanced specialty area of practice.
Promotes use and understanding of evidence-based practice.
Uses a PDSA performance improvement model as an avenue to improve advanced clinical practice and care.
Evaluates policy and procedures for clinical practice in specialty area.
Develops and reviews evidence-based policies and procedures.
Reviews standards of practice and national guidelines for specialty area to determine appropriateness and to reflect current nursing clinical practice. Participates in organization and division journal club.
Leads multidisciplinary groups to facilitate collaboration with other disciplines in the attainment of outcomes across the continuum of care:
Performs consultative functions.
Provides clinical expertise and makes recommendations to physicians, other health care providers, patients, and health care organizations.
Attends specialty area staff meetings, Unit Based Council, and Nurse Practice Council meetings on an ad hoc basis and Professional Practice Council monthly.
Attends appropriate Medical staff committees.
Interprets the dimensions of nursing care requiring resources at the system level, and provides leadership to assure that the system adequately supports the delivery of nursing care:
Selects, uses, and/or evaluates technology, products, and devices appropriate to the specialty area of practice.
Expands the practice of nursing through ongoing generation and acquisition of scientific knowledge and skills to maintain expert clinical competences that leads to desired outcomes:
Stays abreast of current literature in the specialty area of practice.
Collaborates with Nursing Research consultant. Educates and promotes the organizational model of evidence-based practice to improve patient outcomes (Iowa Model).
Follows Kaweah Health policies when conducting research (ie. Institutional Review Board).
Submits data from research topics related to the specialty area of practice for publication.
Demonstrates professional citizenship and fiscal responsibility in the healthcare system by focusing on health policy and/or resource management to ensure quality, cost-effective outcomes of nursing care.
Works in collaboration with the Nurse Manager, Nursing Director, Director of Nursing Practice, Clinical Education Department, and other Health Care Providers (HCP) to assess and coordinate education to assure the clinical competency of nursing staff:
Ensures continued nursing competency through educational programs for both the newly-hired and experienced nursing staff.
Consults with staff on complex nursing issues.
Reviews education activities provided by the RN.
Works in collaboration with the Medical Director in research and development of evidence based policies and protocols
Addendum (essential for specific dept)
SPECIALTY SERVICE LINE:
In collaboration with the area Nursing Director, manages and monitors strategic direction for specialty to ensure optimal, efficient, cost-effective care.
Works in partnership with HCPs and clinical staff to develop an internal marketing strategy for specialty. Identifies appropriate candidates for referral and facilitates referral relationships between HCPs. Collaborates with the Marketing Department to develop internal and external marketing strategies for specialty programs as appropriate.
Assists in preparing, managing and monitoring operational and capital budget for specialty.
Collaborates between the nursing unit and ancillary departments to facilitate problem-solving.
Utilizes appropriate lines of communication within all departments.
Utilizes resources available to report and track utilization and outcomes management as compared with regional, state and national benchmarking data.
Enhances professional growth and development through participation in educational programs, professional affiliations, current literature, in-services, workshops and successful completion/maintenance of required certifications of specialty.
Represents the service line/specialty at department, hospital and community events.
NICU:The Community NICU CNS shall be responsible for:
Directs the clinical nursing practice in the NICU.
Coordinates and assesses critical care educational development and clinical competency of the nursing staff in the NICU. Ensures continued neonatal critical care nursing competency through educational programs for both the newly-hired and experienced nursing staff.
Consults with staff on complex neonatal critical care nursing issues.
Oversees comprehensive parent and or primary caretaker education activities.
Ensures the implementation of a coordinated and effective discharge planning program.
Additional
Demonstrates the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care and services appropriate to the population served on the assigned unit or work area. Knowledgeable of growth and development for all patient/family cultural, linguistic, spiritual, gender, and age specific needs. Able to effectively communicate and care for patient and family as reflected in the Plan for Provision of Care.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Pay Range
$64.81 -$97.21
If you want to use your talents alongside people who face each day with courage and purpose, in an environment that empowers you to do your absolute best, this is where you belong.

Kaweah Health is a publicly-owned community healthcare organization that provides comprehensive health services to the greater Visalia region and Tulare County. With more than 5,000 employees and 700 medical staff, Kaweah Health is committed to meeting the community’s health needs through state-of-the-art medicine, high-quality preventive services, and specialized health centers and clinics.
For more information, visit KaweahHealth.org or follow Kaweah Health on Facebook, Instagram, or X.