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?

The Outcomes Manager 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 principal role of the Outcomes Manager (OM) is to assist the patient care team in achieving the highest quality and best possible outcome for the patient in a cost-effective manner. The OM collaborates with members of the health care team across the continuum. The OM demonstrates a thorough understanding of the demographics for the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit (CTICU). Develops approaches to optimize the equity, effectiveness and efficiency of the delivery of resources available to the population both within and beyond the acute care setting.

Responsibilities: 

Clinical Practice:

• Provide management and oversight of existing and newly created cardiovascular clinical programs including developing the business case for education and processes related to new programs and directly managing clinical staff hired into these.
• Working closely with the CTICU Operations managers, Education Coordinator and Quality Coordinator and Nightingale nurses, and respective medical directors. The position may also have some overlap with the educational needs of the CVT step-down nurses. The Outcomes Manager (OM) will work in close collaboration with the Manager/Director of Professional Practice and Development, the OM monitor plans for the professional development of all CTICU RNs.

Evidence Based practice:

• Consults, as the subject matter expert, and guides clinicians to available resources and policies on standards of care for their service line and/or across departments. Coaches’ clinicians, utilizing effective communication techniques, in strategies to improve practice and patient outcomes or changes in practice.
• Coordinates research efforts related to programs. Coordinating the onboarding process of newly hired nurses and other ancillary staff within BCVI programs where there is not a direct reporting relationship.
• Identifies and pursues business activities which achieve best patient experience and best people goals, enhance reputation, and enhance capability in cardiovascular disease.
• Analyzes potential, risk/reward, resource requirements, and financial benefit to proposed CTICU clinical initiatives through complex analysis and research of market. Lead the team to a successful BEACON award designation.
• Engages the learner for continued professional growth while promoting and supporting transition of staff along the Clinical Career tree.
• Applies theories of change to support staff and promote evidence-based decision-making. Cultivates a climate of clinical inquiry to establish an environment where staff want to become involved in research and evidence-based practice. Guides staff in the creation and submission of clinical abstracts, posters, and presentations at national conferences.
• Champions and leads innovative initiatives to obtain service line/department-specific focus or specialty designations, recognitions, or awards. Collaborates across the hospital and system in implementing change as appropriate, maintaining awareness of current changes in practice standards and applies to clinical practice setting.
• Engages the learner for continued professional growth while promoting and supporting transition of staff along the Clinical Career tree.

Quality/Safety:

• Identifies gaps in practice through competency assessment, observation, or available measures. Plans and implements strategies to address gaps through observation of employee and their practice, audits metrics that may indicate a gap or need for improvement. Provides guidance to staff in clinical project development and management.
• Develops, implements, and manages internal measurement and monitoring systems that demonstrate the effectiveness of clinical initiatives in enhancing patient care performance, and program reputation within the assigned cardiovascular areas.
• Works with multiple departments (i.e. Office of Professional Development, Nursing operations and performance Manager, CVT stepdown and Surgical Services) and key leadership across organizations (BCVI) to develop quality improvement processes.
• Work collaboratively with the BCVI outcomes management program and operational managers to systematize the monitoring and management of BCVI programs.
• Utilizes dashboards to maintain awareness of patient outcome measures and system patient care metrics, partnering with clinical areas to identify needs, plan, implement, and evaluate an intervention to positively impact the quality of patient care. Drives nurse sensitive indicator performance by using data to identify gaps and plan interventions to meet and exceed expectations. Provides education to support improvement of the patient experience.
• Promotes interprofessional collaboration in patient care, providing leadership to maintain a supportive and healthy work environment. Partners with department leadership to define priorities of service line/specialty department. Builds partnerships across the system and strives for consensus in practice.
• Partner with the Quality Coaches to Operationalize quality initiatives by maintaining awareness and knowledge of applicable regulatory or accrediting body standards and the applicability to the clinical area. Provides leadership in design, implementation, and evaluation of process improvement initiatives.
• Partners with patient safety and risk management to follow up on CCEC events
• Recognizes, rewards, and celebrates improvements and staff's contributions.
• Lead the CTICU team towards obtaining the BEACON.
• Coordinates all activities related to the cardiac surgery morbidity and Mortality Review in conjunction with BCVI.
• Uses internal and external benchmark data and best practices to establish specific targets, timelines and metrics for improvement projects; provides communication and update on progress Encourages those who identify problems and participate in suggesting solutions to these problems
• Supports staff in piloting new ideas and solutions, within or across departments. Recognizes, rewards, and celebrates improvements and staff's contributions.

Required:

• Masters of Science in Nursing
• RN License in the State of Illinois
• Magnet recognized specialty certification 
• 2-5 years of experience with study of patient populations and working with care providers
• BLS Certification
• Proficient with MS Office Products, primarily Excel and PowerPoint

Preferred:

• Previous leadership experience
• CNS or CNL Certification 
• Previous CTICU Experience

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.

If we offer you a job, we will perform a background check that includes a review of any criminal convictions. A conviction does not disqualify you from employment at Northwestern Medicine. We consider this on a case-by-case basis and follow all state and federal guidelines.