Summary of Duties:

The Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) is a registered nurse who has acquired expert knowledge, complex decision-making skills, and clinical competencies for expanded practice through Masters-preparation. This advanced practice role involves applying nursing knowledge, theory, and research evidence to foster system-wide changes and advanced nursing care and the profession as a whole (CNA, 2008).

The APN, working within the Ross Tilly Burn Centre, contributes to the quality of patient care through the domains of: practice, education, research, and leadership within an interprofessional environment. The emphasis on each aspect of the role may vary in response to the evolving priorities within the organization, the units, and health care in general.

The APN, an expert in critical care nursing and specialized burn wound practices, will participate in continuous quality improvement and research initiatives. Evidence-based practice and knowledge mobilization will be essential to this role. Critical thinking around patient care needs will be of utmost importance and the APN will work collaboratively with the interprofessional team, point of care nurses, Patient Care Managers, and Professional Leader for Nursing to ensure that patients and families receive safe, quality, and efficient care. The APN must be flexible and adaptable to the ever-changing needs and priorities on these units and within the organization. A key aspect of the APN role is to support nursing staff, through performance and practice reviews. Proficiency in providing feedback and dealing with nursing-based practice concerns will be an important component of this role.

In collaboration with other Program and unit based leaders the RTBC APN will:

• Engage in both direct and indirect clinical care

• Demonstrate and facilitate system leadership

• Mentor, support, and work to advance nursing practice within the inter-professional team

• Ability to foster a culture of civility and respect

• Engage in evaluation and research activities

• Develop, promote, and role model evidence-based and best clinical practices

• Lead and champion the integration of person- & family-centred care initiatives

• Collaborate effectively with inter-professional health care team members

• Identify and address the educational needs for both patients and staff

• Participate in nursing recruitment and retention, mentoring of new staff and performance and practice reviews

• Lead and facilitate quality improvement initiatives in RTBC

Qualifications/Skills:

• Current Ontario College of Nurses Certificate of Competence and BCLS certificate
• Master’s degree in Nursing or Wound Care (completed or in progress)
• Minimum 3 years recent burn care clinical experience
• Proficient computer skills
• Demonstrated ability to effectively lead and participate in change across programs or preferably organizationally
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and support interprofessional team members
• Recent demonstration of leadership in quality and research initiatives
• Strong track record of quality and research presentations and dissemination of knowledge
• Demonstration of expert collaboration skills
• Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communications skills
• Demonstrated satisfactory job performance and attendance