Registered Nurse

Nurse Manager: Professional Development

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is one of the largest school districts in the United States, serving over 320,000 students in 500+ schools and employing approximately 44,000 people, most of them teachers. CPS has set ambitious goals to ensure that every student, in every school and every neighborhood, has access to a world-class learning experience that prepares each for success in college, career, and civic life. In order to fulfill this mission, we make three commitments to our students, their families, and all Chicagoans: academic progress, financial stability, and integrity. Six core values are embedded within these commitments student-centered, whole child, equity, academic excellence, community partnership, and continuous learning.

The Office of Student Health and Wellness (OSHW) aims to eliminate health-related barriers to learning and promote health equity. OSHW recognizes nursing plays a key role in that aim. Nurse Managers create a collaborative and efficient workplace with attention to quality standards and policies, so all nurses will be able to do their best in caring for our CPS students. The goal is to foster an excellent environment that will support everyone in working to the benefit of our district, our students, our staff, and our community. Empowering students and families with information about healthy practices:

• Partnering with school communities to promote enrollment in child health benefits
• Ensuring all students have high-quality holistic care, including physical and mental health services, from full time employees and specialized staff
• Modeling high expectations and continuous improvement for our colleagues across the district.

Job Summary: Under the supervision of the Deputy Chief Office of Student Health and Wellness the Nurse Manager, Professional Development will be responsible for the professional development, supervision, and evaluation of Advanced Practice Nurses that serve our students and schools. The Nurse Manager supports services and resources related to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as well as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Through collaboration and advocacy, the Nurse Manager supports school system goals and priorities, as well as the mission of the Office of Student Health and Wellness. The Nurse Manager provides leadership and expertise in evaluating nursing professional development, educational requirements, and opportunities, and works to identify potential risks and quality improvement requirements for nursing staff. This position is responsible for the compliance oversight as well as multiple areas of compliance including but not limited to regulatory requirements, licensing, accreditation, student safety, quality improvement, risk management, FAPE, FERPA.

The Nurse Manager: Professional Development will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

1. Supervise 75 or more school assigned nurses
2. Develop, implement and monitor the assignment and scheduling of district and agency nurses on a regular and daily basis, including substitute coverage
3. Lead and facilitate training/professional development of nurses district-wide to enhance their effectiveness and improve their practice
4. Collaborate with the Talent Office to screen and hire, including orientation and mentoring new staff
5. Collaborate with the Nurse Manager team to manage the inventory of resources for nurses city-wide
6. Assist in the building of a Public Health Nursing Corp to support CPS' short and long term response to COVID-19 and other public health needs which include:
• Oversight of local health protocols within assigned schools/regions including education, tracking, and data/report management
• Tracking student absenteeism
• Investigating unreported COVID cases
• Personal protective equipment (PPE) management, ordering, and distribution
• Conceptualization and implementation of mass vaccination programs and protocols
• Promotion of Healthy CPS initiatives and leading Wellness Teams in Schools
• Analyze health-related data and recommend strategies for improvement
• Cooperate with networks, school, central office management, parents, and other stakeholders to continually improve nurse programming
• Conduct REACH evaluations for Certified School Nurses and assist with performance evaluation for Health Service Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses
• Recommend and lead improvements in district-wide nursing practice to ensure alignment with the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) Framework for 21st-century school nursing practice
7. Other duties as assigned

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Nurse Manager: Professional Development must possess the following qualifications:

• Master's degree from an accredited college or university in Nursing, Nursing Leadership, Public Administration, or a health-related program
• Advanced Practice Nurse License and Certification preferred
• A current State of Illinois Registered Nurse license and CPR certification
• ISBE Professional Educator License endorsed as a School Nurse or commitment to complete School Nurse Certification is preferred
• Reach certification or commitment to complete REACH Certification within 18 months from the completion of nursing orientation.

Experience Required:

• Minimum of five (5) years of experience as a Registered Nurse (RN)
• Minimum of (3) years experience leading effective nursing team, preference for a school environment
• Previous experience planning, coordinating, and executing efforts across multiple, regionally dispersed units

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Innovative self-starter with outstanding organizational skills and attention to detail
• Superior oral and written communication skills, comfortable presenting professional development
• Strong problem-solving and critical thinking abilities, combined with strong initiative and a team player attitude
• Ability to communicate and build trusting relationships with key stakeholder groups (e.g. collective bargaining units, building administrators, directors, etc.), especially within CPS
• Commitment to understanding and implementing evolving evidence-based practices in nursing, public health, and medicine
• Dedicated to strengthening nursing culture and competencies through mentorship and professional development

Conditions of Employment:

As a condition of employment with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), employees are required to:

Establish/Maintain Chicago Residency - Employees are required to live within the geographic boundaries of the City of Chicago within six months of their CPS hire date and maintain residency throughout their employment with the district. The Chicago residency requirement does not apply to temporary/part-time positions, however, all CPS employees must be residents of Illinois.