Nurse Practitioner-Amb General Pediatrics

The Nurse Practitioner (NP) will coordinate care for all infants identified in our region who have screened positive for congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) on the dried blood spot with Newborn Screening Ontario. This individual will be responsible for contacting the family or their primary care provider to inform them of the screen positive result and will refer infants to community pediatrician for initial evaluation. The individual is responsible for ensuring symptomatic infants are urgently referred to the McMaster Pediatric Infectious Diseases clinic, where the NP will assess, diagnose and treat as needed in close collaboration with the Infectious Diseases specialists. The individual is also responsible for collecting results on all asymptomatic infants, maintaining Newborn Screening Ontario documentation, and ensuring ongoing follow up for all screen positive infants. The NP will serve as a key resource and point of contact for community pediatricians and other regional program partners.

 The NP will also provide advanced nursing care to meet the needs of the outpatient Pediatric Infectious Diseases clinic at McMaster Children’s Hospital. This will include assessment, evaluation, diagnosis and treatment management of acute and chronic pediatric infections in close collaboration and consultation with the Infectious Diseases specialists. The individual will actively participate in promoting and providing quality, family-centred care in the outpatient clinic setting.

 The NP will be expected to:

• Review and revise Newborn Screening Ontario medical directives for retrieval, evaluation and treatment of cCMV screen positive infants
• Perform retrieval for cCMV screen positive infants (i.e. contacting the family to inform them of the screen positive result, prognosis and plan)
• Refer all cCMV screen positive infants to community partners for initial evaluation and ensure timely and comprehensive care is being provided
• Collect and interpret initial evaluation results for all infants, expediting referral to Pediatric Infectious Diseases for symptomatic infants
• Provide advanced nursing care to infants who are symptomatic of cCMV in the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Clinic in close collaboration with the Infectious Diseases specialists
• Act as a key resource and point of contact for community pediatricians, audiologists, family physicians, midwives and families
• Complete required documentation for Newborn Screening Ontario and McMaster Children’s Hospital
• Provide advanced nursing care (assessment, evaluation, diagnosis and therapeutic management considerations) in the outpatient Pediatric Infectious Diseases clinic to a wide variety of patients with acute and chronic pediatric infections
• Maintain and coordinate continuity of care for patients in the outpatient Pediatric Infectious Diseases clinic

• Current Registration with the College of Nurses of Ontario as a Registered Nurse in the Extended Class – RN (EC).
• Completion of a Master’s Degree in Nursing, with an Advanced Practice Nurse Certificate in Pediatrics (NP-Pediatrics)
• Membership in the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) and other professional organizations relevant to the role
• Minimum of (4) years recent pediatric nursing experience
• Minimum of (3) years recent acute/primary clinical experience in pediatrics
• Knowledge and experience in change theory and pediatric learning principles
• Certification in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS preferred)
• Proficiency in performing history and examination of the infant, toddler, child, and adolescent
• Knowledge and assessment of developmental milestones at all stages of pediatric development and ability to access appropriate community or hospital-based resources in setting of developmental delays
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of health professional resources, community services, and resources relating to the pediatric population
• Experience in the development and maintenance of medical directives
• Demonstrated ability for independent action, initiative, problem solving, organization, and prioritization
• Demonstrated interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal
• Demonstrated ability to work in a consultative role with the members of the multidisciplinary team
• Demonstrated ability to utilize information technology
• Ability to deliver culturally sensitive care, recognize and celebrate diversity, navigate complex situations, and advocate for children and families
• Ability to act as a leader, teacher, mentor, and change agent for the interprofessional health team both within the institution and in the community
• Able to effectively lead program design and evaluation, including identification and measurement of outcome indicators
• Commitment to ongoing professional development
• Eligible for cross appointment with McMaster University School of Nursing at the undergraduate and graduate level
• Current ability to travel in Southwestern Ontario/own transportation