Expression and Action Coach (Temporary Full Time)

• Exemplifies and promotes excellence in dementia care practice by providing advanced level expertise and clinical support and advice to the multi-disciplinary health care team.
• Utilizes practice opportunities to ensure expert care to patients/residents or groups of patients, to evaluate dementia care practice, and to provide clinical learning activities for staff.
• Provides input and collaborates with other health care disciplines within Providence Living and the community to develop and (with Executive Director, Quality, Practice & Program Development, Seniors Care approval) implement, evaluate care standards, clinical practice guidelines and other processes that help to inform Providence Living long-term care practice services and support excellence in service delivery consistent with provincial and national guidelines.
• Influences practice in the field of dementia care by participating in patient/resident care advocacy issues directed toward improving practice, coordinating services, and the quality of patient/resident care. Participates in provincial/national groups related to long-term care.
• Develops and (with Executive Director, Quality, Practice & Program Development, Seniors Care approval) implements, evaluates integrated systems and processes to promote the development of competent staff, support professional and clinical practice and decision-making and enhance collaborative working relationships across the continuum of care.
• Provides consultation and advice/guidance to nurses and other members of the interdisciplinary team on planning, implementing and evaluating services within the continuum of long-term care.
• Ensures support for people with dementia and their families across a continuum of care and services. Coordinates the evaluation of patient/resident care outcomes. Works with staff to identify patients/residents at risk, and problem-solves issues.
• Works with Educators to promote an atmosphere conducive to learning and to develop, implement and evaluate education strategies for staff and patients/residents that support effective, efficient, best practice long-term services. Collaborates in the development of clear guidelines, performance standards and effective processes to assess competencies of staff and students and to facilitate continuing professional development of long-term care in compliance with professional standards and codes of ethics.
• Identifies research topics, supports research amongst the interdisciplinary team, and administers research projects to promote clinical knowledge development and research-based clinical practice. Critiques current research findings related to dementia care. Makes presentations on research findings as required and disseminates approved research findings encouraging staff to incorporate recommended evidence into practice. Collaborates with colleagues in determining the effectiveness in the practice setting.
• Participates in relevant committees as required.
• Mentors and supervises graduate and undergraduate students, assisting them to develop a thorough understanding and skilled application of advanced nursing practice and related competencies. Provides professional expertise in dementia care to health care professionals, internal and external to the organization, on matters related to practice, including clinical, research and educational activities.
• Provides input into budget planning to ensure the budget meets fiscally responsible clinical practice requirements and professional standards.
• Provides advice and guidance to appropriate leadership for essential services designation planning as required.
• Leads and coaches teams in the adoption of a social-relational model of care by fostering reflective practice, relationship-centred approaches, and sustainable culture change. Builds the confidence, skills, and capacity of staff, residents, families, and community partners through coaching, collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning to create sustainable improvements in resident experience and quality of life.
• Supports interdisciplinary teams to identify the underlying causes of resident expressions of need and co-design individualized, creative, non-pharmacological interventions that enhance quality of life.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Masters’ degree in a related health care field (with a focus on Gerontology or Dementia) with an undergraduate degree in Nursing or an equivalent health-related discipline.

Current practicing registration with the relevant regulatory professional body.

Five years of recent, related clinical and leadership experience.

• Ability to apply system-wide thinking to develop, implement and evaluate programs that inform management in areas of clinical practice.
• Ability to perform in-depth holistic patient/family assessments, plan, implement and evaluate care for complex care situations, and guide interdisciplinary team members in care planning.
• Ability to provide effective consultation for individuals and groups.
• Ability to conceptualize research questions and collaborate with researchers to conduct research.
• Ability to role model expert practice.
• Ability to assist in the development of professional skills for interdisciplinary teams.
• Ability to synthesize, present, utilize and implement relevant clinical/research findings into dementia care practice.