Description
JOB SUMMARY
Under the guidance of the Clinical Informatics Manager, the Clinical Informatics Specialist plays a pivotal role in enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of clinical documentation processes. This position involves collaborating closely with clinical staff to thoroughly understand their needs for Electronic Health Records (EHR) and various clinical IT applications, ensuring that these systems are tailored to meet the diverse requirements across acute care settings, outpatient clinics, and long-term care facilities. Key responsibilities include vigilant monitoring of existing health information systems and patient care programs to ensure seamless operation and optimal functionality. The Informatics Nurse systematically analyzes data to assess operational efficiency, identify trends, and pinpoint areas that require improvement, thereby facilitating high-quality patient care. This role also encompasses the training and support of nursing staff in utilizing EHR and clinical applications effectively, fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptation within the team in accordance with The Joint Commission, federal, state, and local guidelines, as well as organizational and departmental policies and procedures. The position requires self-motivation, creativity, and the ability to function in a semi-autonomous role within a fast-paced and dynamic environment.
STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE
- Thoroughly understands and promotes using current and future EHR and clinical IT system functionality with physicians, nurses and other care providers and support personnel.
- Helps identify clinical practice workflow issues and concerns, and provides leadership and guidance to define system and process requirements that will optimize system performance and technology utilization by the clinical staff.
- Helps troubleshoot EHR and clinical IT system issues, questions, etc.
- Develops and provides EHR and clinical IT systems training to various staff to help ensure effective system use within the hospital, ambulatory sites and the long-term care facility.
- Helps design, develop and maintain approved electronic forms, templates, flow sheets, graphic charts and summary reports to ensure that they comply with regulatory and other standards and requirements. Works closely with the HIM department to ensure that new and revised forms are implemented correctly.
- Ensures that departments maintain a backup manual process to continue daily operations during periods of planned and unplanned IT system downtown.
- Assist practicing physicians in understanding the current Oracle Health generated nursing forms and summaries with prior approval of Chief Executive Officer and/or Chief Operating and Finance Officer and/or Chief Technology Innovation Officer.
- Reviews EHR policies and procedures and makes recommended changes upon approvals from the Clinical Informatics Manager and/or Chief Technology Innovation Officer and/or Chief Executive Officer and/or Chief Operating and Financial Officer and/or Chief Nursing Officer.
- Ensures adherence to proper infection control, OSHA and safety standards.
- Coordinates and participates in continuing education.
- Leads and coordinates projects, manages resources, and completes projects successfully and on schedule.
- Identifies, evaluates, and develops plans for introducing technology-based innovations that will increase efficiency, reduce waste, or solve a problem within the organization. Gains technical expertise in functionality that is pertinent to nursing care.
- Provides nursing clinical expertise to assess and recommend ways technology could enhance workflows and access to patient related information.
- Maintains a working knowledge of licensing, regulatory, and compliance factors related to clinical information system usage. Assists in development and ongoing review of system related policies, procedures, and competencies; assures technologies and workflows align where appropriate.
- Conducts research and analysis related to informatics and clinical care, contributing to the organization and healthcare industry. Serves as a resource to end users for information systems and technology; effectively communicates and educates system changes, workflow process changes, downtime procedures, and relevant information to clinical teams.
- Collaborates and consults with internal and external clinicians, vendors, academic programs, and healthcare organizations to share knowledge and experiences to determine the best possible technologies and solutions for the organization and improve patient care.
- Incorporates informatics theories, principles, and concepts to evaluate the impact of technology on clinical practice and patient outcomes and informs opportunities for optimization and improvement. Assesses and maintains relevant performance improvement programs.
- Acts as a change agent, driving organizational change management to ensure successful adoption and maximize value for the healthcare team and patient care.
- Advances the nursing profession through the development of expertise, participation in research, and dissemination of knowledge and information.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Requirements
Minimum Level of Education: Bachelor of Science in Nursing preferred. Licensed clinical professional required.
Formal Training: Management skills with experience in critical thinking, clinical workflow expertise, analytics, change management strategies, planning, organizing, implementing, facilitating, interviewing, counseling, and verbal and written communications. Licensure, Certification, Registration: Licensed clinical professional (CMA, LPN, RN, etc.) required.
Work Experience: Minimum of two years’ experience implementing or supporting state-of-the-market EHR and/or clinical IT systems or an equivalent combination of education and related experience. Oracle Health experience preferred.
Computer Skills: Advanced computer literacy with the capability to effectively use Microsoft computer software, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as EHR database systems.
