Moving up in the world...

[nfdfiremedic, BSN, RN]

After several years spent as the clinical coordinator of a large tertiary medical center's emergency department, I am moving up a rung on the ladder to a new position. In my institution, the "clinical coordinator" is basically another term for "Assistant manager." My duties included policy development and implementation, PI, staff discipline issues, scheduling, you name it. Additionally, I provided clinical support as needed (help with codes, traumas, and critical patients of all other flavors plus lending a hand whenever anybody was "sinking" etc.)

After an extensive interview process, I was selected to take over as the leader of a brand new project. I will be overseeing our hospitals newly forming stroke team. This is a new position and, as such, there are no official definitions or job descriptions per say. Our hospital is moving toward JC accreditation as a stroke center, and a large part of my job will be to oversee this process, develop and maintain a PI program, perform staff development activities, and provide patient teaching.

This is a step into a totally new arena for me. Prior to this,my career has been rooted in a clinical environment, with a few days a week doing administrative/office work. Effective Monday morning,I'll be "one of those white coat people" wearing a tie to work, coordinating the effortsof a large multidisciplinary team which includes physicians, nurses, physical therapists, speech therapists, nurse educators, and probably more. I feel ready for this challenge, but I'm understandably a bit nervous about it (as I presume anyone would be!)

I'm curious if anyone else here functions in a similar capacity, and if they have any insight to offer.

Thanks!

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Very cool. Congrats.

[kakamegamama]

Congrats! As to ideas? Hmmm.....if you haven't , visit the JC site & see what they state about stroke patients/education/prevetion/etc. And, what do the other nurses who care for stroke patients have to say? What works well/doesn't work well, that sort of thing. Just my 2 cents worth!

[dee78]

Congrats!

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

We have an ER nurse who is now full time as the Chest Pain Center and Stroke Center coordinator (two different programs). We are Am. Heart Asso. approved. I believe the AHA website has information on what is expected. Even if you do not go that route, there will be evidence based research and standards to assit you. There is a lot of education involved for the staff, which is how I am acquainted with the program. Sounds like a real opportunity. Good for marketing too.

[Altra, BSN, RN]

I agree with a previous poster - there is quite a bit of information on the JC website about stroke accreditation. It's not always a pleasant process. Attention to detail / minutiae is paramount. What I would be doing right now is just reflecting on the culture at the hospital and the culture of all the groups who will be involved in this accreditation, and assessing how amenable they are likely to be to changes in process and documentation. Congratulations and good luck!

[tewdles, RN]

Congratulations!!

Embrace the challenge.

Develop strong professional relationships with those in the continuum of care within and surrounding your department.

Delegate.

Build your team carefully and build sense of team from the start.

Define the philosophy and goals immediately and refine the processes as you move forward.

Delegate.

If you are not organized, make sure you hire organized people in the critical positions.

Delegate.

Breathe.

Enjoy.

[Morainey, BSN, RN]

Neat, sounds cool

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

Congratultions. As others suggested check out the JC website. All the requirements for stroke certificationare listed there.