Nursing@Simmons Section Instructor - Clinical Decision Making - Minnesota

The Clinical Decision Making faculty is responsible for preparing students for the clinical experience, including an orientation to policies and procedures and reviewing student prerequisites for individual clinical rotations. The Clinical Decision Making faculty member will work with the faculty Course Lead throughout their teaching experience and deliver weekly seminars to their clinical students on a weekly basis. 

About Nursing@Simmons 

Nursing@Simmons features a small student-to-faculty ratio with live synchronous instruction providing professor and student interaction through video- conferencing, complimented by high- quality, asynchronous self-paced online content. Included in the program, each student participates in a comprehensive field placement clinical program in or near their own community. Students learn from expert faculty who practice what they teach and gain hands-on experience through clinical placements near their own community. Note: finding clinical placements for students is not part of faculty responsibilities.

Courses meet weekly and/or as scheduled. The face-to-face interactions are blended with technology for an enhanced learning environment. This dynamic program is delivered in a state of art robust and user-friendly learning management system featuring Web 2.0 technology (including interactive classes thru webinars, online discussions and online assignments and grading).

Job Summary

The Minnesota-based Clinical Decision Making faculty will be prepared as Family Nurse Practitioners and hold or be willing to obtain an active MA RN license. Once contracted to teach with the program, students will be assigned to the faculty member’s section on a regional basis. Clinical Decision Making faculty should be willing to obtain APRN or RN licenses in states within their region when necessary, based on the state(s) in which their students reside (typically neighboring states). With the exception of the MA RN license, these additional license requests will be fully reimbursed by Simmons University.  

Additionally the Clinical Decision Making faculty must be available to perform a number of Clinical Site Visits within their region, based upon the number of student in their class, as assigned by the Operations Coordinator. For example, an instructor with 6 students may be asked to perform up to 6 site visits. Site visits will be assigned based on proximity to the instructor and as a result, faculty may be assigned a site visit for a student not currently enrolled in their Clinical Decision Making section. Clinical Decision Making Faculty will collaborate with students, preceptors and peer faculty to arrange a date for the clinical visit, will review clinical logs and reflections, document in Typhoon (if necessary), and document/address any problems or issues that arise related to this clinical experience.

The Clinical Decision Making Faculty will make known to students in writing and online, the goals and requirements of each course, the nature of the course content and the methods of evaluation to be employed. A clear understanding of the legal liability of the preceptor role and the purpose of clinical seminar will be reviewed with the students during the first synchronous session and in the course syllabus.

Advanced clinical practice is the focus of this course. Students will apply, synthesize and evaluate content from nursing theory and sciences in the clinical practice setting. The course requires extensive clinical experience with an approved preceptor. Students develop case presentations from their experiences for discussion in on-line forum clinical seminar formats. Students may work with patients from across the life span.

The Clinical Decision Making Faculty will also be required to go through an orientation that will introduce faculty to the various Simmons University personnel, the 2U educational/technology partner’s Clinical Placement team, and the program faculty.

Clinical Decision Making Faculty are expected to participate in a minimum of 3 consecutive terms. Series assignments (501A, 502A or 503A) will be determined prior to the start of each term. It is expected a Section Instructor in Clinical Decision Making will spend approximately 13 hours a week in this role as follows:

Specific Duties

• Facilitate live synchronous session for 1 ½ hours/week

• Review Typhon entries per student every week and provide feedback

• Review and correct documentation per student every week

• Counsel per student every week

• Review clinical progress and milestones with preceptors regarding SNP - (Zoom, Email, Skype, telephone) per student every week

• Hold office hours

• Site visitor coordination and collaboration

• Mentor and serve as a role model for graduate students.

• Work with the student and preceptor to identify and discuss the learner's needs (novice to expert) in order to meet the course objectives.

• Use appropriate teaching methods to help the student negotiate the clinical experiences so that he/she meets their personal learning objectives and has the confidence to experiment with newly learned skills.

• Facilitate student centered discussion of clinical case presentations from the student experiences to explore best evidence based practice from an across the lifespan perspective.

• Provide additional faculty support beyond the end of the term, usually not more than 14 days following end of term, for those students requiring an extension of the term to complete clinical hours

• Review, provide feedback and monitor all documentation and entry of student/patient activity and interaction, including medication knowledge and development of medication synthesis, into the Typhon database.

• Monitor use of accepted guidelines and standards of care.

• Support student in his/her refinement of interpersonal skills that promotes effective communication with patients and colleagues.

• Alert students to focus on problematic areas early in the clinical site with their preceptor thereby providing each student an opportunity to refine interpersonal skills by the time the clinical rotation is completed.

• Communicate with preceptor regularly (at least 3 times/term) to monitor student progress in the course. Complete mandatory 3 way call with student and preceptor at the beginning, middle and end of the term. 

• Evaluate whether the learner’s objectives have been achieved through direct observation and preceptor feedback.

• Provide the learner with feedback.

• Demonstrate attitudes and qualities consistent with the ethics of the health professions including: leadership skills in the area of peer review, quality assurance, and community involvement while promoting the health of population groups; and respect for the student’s faculty, curriculum, and program.

• Provide students with formative and summative evaluations using the appropriate Simmons Clinical Performance Evaluation, during the midterm and final class of the semester.

• Implement academic and professional standards set forth in the Simmons University of Nursing and Health Sciences Student Handbook.

• Correspond with the 2U Clinical Placement team (CPT) on an ongoing basis to make sure the student placements are running smoothly and the tracking files are updated. Contact the CPT when there are issues at the student’s clinical site.

• May assist in developing standardized exam questions for assigned course(s).

General Qualifications

• Reside in, and possess a Minnesota APRN license

• Currently practicing APRN, FNP required (PhD, DNP, MSN welcome to apply)

• At least 2+ years clinical and nursing education experience required

• Graduate level teaching experience preferred

• Online teaching exposure/experience preferred

• Must carry an active Registered Nurse License in MA

Technology Requirements

Adjunct Faculty are required to provide their own hardware (PC or Mac Computer), software, and internet access to facilitate the online courses at Simmons University. Simmons University is not responsible for the purchase, upgrade, or maintenance of online instructor’s telephone, computer and Internet service. Required software for courses will be provided at no additional cost to the instructor. The following are the recommended specifications for Section Instructors:

• Wired high-speed internet connection (8Mbps download & 3Mbps upload minimum speeds)

• Full-powered laptop or desktop computer that is less than 3 years old (not a netbook or tablet)

• Up-to-date operating system (old operating systems such as Windows XP/Vista or Mac OS X 10.6 and 10.7 are NOT supported)

• Webcam (laptops with integrated webcams usually work very well)

• Phone (need excellent reception where you plan to teach if using a mobile phone)

• Headset for your phone (be sure the headset includes a microphone)

Note: Simmons University will consult with Section Instructors to help determine if their technology is compatible.

Proprietary Issues

The online courses and materials relating hereto, in whatever form, offered by Simmons University are and shall remain the sole and exclusive property of Simmons University.  All models, curricula, programs, materials and systems designed or developed by faculty engaged by Simmons University in connection with the teaching such courses shall be and remain the sole and exclusive property of Simmons University.

Online Instructor Training 

Simmons University provides all Section Instructors with tailored training for online and hybrid course delivery models. It is mandatory that all Section Instructors complete the Online Instructor Orientation Course provided by Simmons University prior to starting their first class. The course introduces faculty to the expectations and best instructional practices at Simmons University.   The orientation will take approximately 10 to 15 hours to complete with a combination of synchronous and asynchronous sessions.

Simmons University is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to excellence in education and employment through diversity.  The University embraces diversity and defines it to include race, gender, gender identify, national origin, ethnicity, religion, social class, age, sexual orientation, and physical and learning ability.

Simmons University is committed to inclusive excellence in all aspects of an individual’s community experience. As a university committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, Simmons encourages applications from all under-represented groups. Simmons is committed to creating, developing, promoting, and enhancing inclusive hiring practices–at all levels, for all positions–ensuring diverse talent pools and the delivery of a consistent positive candidate experience. Simmons is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to continuing to develop a more diverse faculty, staff, student body, and curriculum.