Assistant Clinical Instructor/Nursing Instructor (CASUAL) UPMC Mercy School of Nursing

The Assistant Clinical Instructor/Nursing Instructor for the School of Nursing has the authority, responsibility and accountability for both the didactic and clinical instruction of students in utilizing the nursing process to provide quality patient care. This position requires the ability to effectively instruct nursing students in the classroom as well as provide meaningful learning experiences, guidance and evaluation of those students in the clinical environment utilizing the nursing process during the provision of care to ensure safe nursing care and quality patient outcomes.

Responsibilities:

• Reflects a commitment to nursing, the school and the program goals.
• Explores creative and innovative teaching learning strategies during conference and on the clinical unit.
• Serves as a professional role model for students in the clinical area.
• Works cooperatively with other faculty members to achieve school goals.
• Works cooperatively and productively to achieve the school goals in accordance with the mission and values of the parent organization.
• Maintains open communication with other health care team members to achieve academic and organizational goals.
• Understands how the concepts of trust, respect, professionalism and caring are utilized to build an organizational climate that fosters the development of the student.
• Applies principles of dignity and respect in meeting the diverse learning needs of students in clinical practice.
• Resolves and manages conflict effectively and in a timely manner.
• Creates an environment which recognizes and values differences in students, peers, patients, families and communities.
• Coaches students on cultural diversity and civility in the educational environment.
• Models critical and reflective thinking in the clinical area.
• Utilizes information technology skillfully to support the teaching learning process. 
• Demonstrates interest and respect for learners through mentoring and knowledge sharing.
• Provides quality instruction to groups of students in the clinical area utilizing teaching learning concepts reflective of best practice in nursing education.
• Provides timely, thoughtful and constructive feedback and evaluations to learners.
• Establishes and maintains positive, caring relationships with students, faculty, management, patients/families and all other members of the health care team. 
• Works productively and effectively within a complex educational environment.
• Creates meaningful clinical learning assignments based on student learning needs.
• Demonstrates sound clinical judgment with critical thinking, analytical and problem solving abilities required as related to various aspects of the teaching-learning process.
• Utilizes critical thinking skills necessary to lead students in the application of the nursing process in the clinical area.
• Demonstrates commitment to lifelong learning as evidenced by continuous formal and informal education. 
• Participates in self review by critically analyzing strengths, areas for improvement in relation to performance as a clinical instructor.
• Receives and utilizes constructive feedback to improve clinical teaching. 
• Demonstrates clinical competence in order to provide the highest quality of clinical instruction for nursing students.
• Utilizes research and evidence based practice to support improvement in clinical teaching.
• Assesses student performance to insure care reflects evidenced based nursing practice.
• Shares outcomes from improvement projects with other faculty and schools of nursing.

• BSN required 
• 3 years of clinical practice required
• Precepting experience required
• Clinical teaching experience in prelicensure program preferred
• Must be enrolled in an MSN program with a 3 year completion plan for Assistant Clinical Instructor level
• MSN required for Nursing Instructor level
• Appointment to this position and retention of this position is contingent upon the approval of the PA State Board of Nursing.

• Current Pennsylvania licensure as a Registered Professional Nurse. 
• CPR Certification for BLS for Health Care Providers.
• Appointment to this position and retention of this position is contingent upon the approval of the PA State Board of Nursing.
• CPR required based on AHA standards that include both a didactic and skills demonstration component within 30 days of hire
• Basic Life Support (BLS) OR Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
• Registered Nurse (RN)
• Act 33 with renewal
• Act 34 with renewal
• Act 73 FBI Clearance with renewal

*Current licensure either in the state where the facility is located or, if the facility is in a state covered by the multistate Nursing Licensure Compact (NLC) agreement, a multistate license issued by a participating NLC state. Hires and current employees working on an out-of-state NLC license who later change their residency to the state where the facility is also located will have 60 days upon changing their residency to apply for licensure within that state.

UPMC is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran