The Ambulatory Professional Practice Specialist supports Division/Department/Service Line initiatives utilizing the Association for Nursing Professional Development (ANPD) framework such as Research/EBP/QI, Role Development, Education, Competency Management, Onboarding/Orientation and Regulatory standards, while promoting professional development and enhancing clinical competencies across the care continuum. This role fosters a culture of nursing excellence and promotes the guidance, principles, and best practices outlined by the American Academy of Ambulatory Care (AAACN) and supports continued recognition as a Magnet® organization by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
Through collaboration with interdisciplinary teams, medical directors and executive leadership, the role drives evidence-based practice, mitigates systemic risks, and fosters a culture of continuous improvement in healthcare delivery. The Ambulatory Professional Practice Specialist plays a pivotal role in ensuring the effective implementation of organizational policies, procedures, and guidelines within ambulatory clinic settings.
The Ambulatory Professional Practice Specialist serves as the clinical and educational subject matter expert for ambulatory clinical practice, ensuring consistent care delivery, competency assurance, regulatory compliance, medication safety, emergency readiness, and scope‑of‑practice integrity. This position supports staff development and empowerment through structured onboarding, orientation, and ongoing professional growth initiatives.
Additionally, the Ambulatory Professional Practice Specialist oversees resource management to drive optimal clinical outcomes, with a strong focus on quality, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Essential Job Statements Provides expert consult of Division/Department/Service Line guideline development, setting of practice standards within the confines of organizations/divisions/clinics’ mission, goals and objectives.
Conduct systematic learning needs assessments across ambulatory clinics to identify competency gaps, emerging practice trends, and ensure regulatory requirement preparedness. Build competency-based pathways for clinical support roles to align with national ambulatory standards and internal credentialing. Serve as the ambulatory clinical subject matter expert for the service line; reduce practice variation while allowing for site‑specific operational needs.
Translate quality and safety data (patient experience, harm events) into targeted learning and process interventions; track trends to identify opportunities and show improvement. Provides strategic oversight of multiple ambulatory clinics across division/department/service line and geographic regions, maintaining a consistent and visible presence to foster staff engagement, assess clinical workflows, and ensure compliance with organizational policies and regulatory standards.
Collaborates with clinic leaders on the development and implementation of standing orders, clinical protocols, policies, and practice guidelines that support and advance nursing practice. Facilitates education, dissemination, and integration of these standards to ensure consistent, evidence-based care across clinical settings. Partners with local leadership to develop and maintain organization-wide documentation that promotes clinical excellence and empowers all team members to practice at the highest level of their licensure and scope.
Serve as a resource to shared governance councils and various committees to align educational and practice priorities. Partners with site clinic leaders and Ambulatory Emergency Response Committee to support emergency readiness requirements and staff competency expectations to include medical emergency response standards, equipment, and emergency medications. Participate in regulatory surveys and readiness activities; support corrective action plans related to nursing practice and education.
Partners with local leadership to manage and monitor onboarding documentation and progress for new team members. Maintain accurate education records, competency attestations, and regulatory compliance documentation. Partner with Division/Department/Service Line stakeholders to support standardization of evidence-based patient education practices across sites to ensure accuracy, consistency, health literacy, and cultural responsiveness.
Educate nursing staff on effective teach‑back techniques and documentation standards. Collaborates in the development and execution of ambulatory clinical initiatives that align with and advance the VCU Health System’s mission and long-term goals. Actively contributes to enterprise-wide and interdepartmental committees to promote consistent standards of clinical practice and effective communication.
Fosters a culture of continuous learning by supporting nursing staff in professional advancement through programs such as Professional Advancement Program, specialty certifications, and academic progression. Patient Population: Demonstrates the knowledge and skills necessary to provide equitable care appropriate to the age of the patients served on their assigned unit. Employment Qualifications Required
Bachelor’s degree in nursing. Must be enrolled in a master’s degree program at the time of application and must be complete within 36 months of hire. Special consideration will be given for applicants enrolled in Baccalaureate to Doctoral programs who will not attain.
Master’s Degree and may require longer than 36 months to complete the terminal. Preferred
Master’s degree in nursing or a related field. If the master’s degree is not in Nursing, then it is required to have a Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing. Licensing/ Certification Licensure/Certification Required: Current RN licensure in Virginia or eligible or compact state, AHA BLS certification or equivalent Licensure/Certification Preferred: Certification in NPD or specialty area, AHA BLS Instructor or equivalent
Years and Type of Required
5 years nursing experience required; Two (2) years of current staff development or health care education experience. Other Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required: N/A Other Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Preferred: Preferred Experience in staff education and professional development (orientation, preceptorship, in-services education, etc.) Academic health care experience Education/training Working Conditions: Periods of high stress and fluctuating workloads may occur.
General office environment. May be exposed to adverse weather conditions; cold, hot, dust, wind, etc. Required to car travel to off-site locations, occasionally in adverse weather conditions.
Long-distance or air travel as needed- not to exceed 10% travel. May be exposed to high noise levels and bright lights. May be exposed to limited hazardous substances or body fluids. * May be exposed to human blood and other potentially infectious materials. * May have periods of constant interruptions.
Prolonged periods of working alone. * Individuals in this position are required to exercise universal precautions, use personal protective equipment and devices, and learn the policies concerning infection control. Physical Requirements Physical Demands: Lifting/ Carrying (0-50 lbs.), Push/ Pull (0-50 lbs.), Stoop, Kneel, Squat, Climbing, Bending Work Position: Sitting, Walking, Standing Additional Physical Requirements/ Hazards Physical
Manual dexterity (eye/hand coordination), Hear alarms/telephone/tape recorder, Reach above shoulder, Repetitive arm/hand movements, Finger Dexterity, Color Vision, Acuity – far, Acuity – near Hazards: Depth perception, Use of Latex Gloves, Exposure to toxic/caustic/chemicals/detergents, Exposure to moving mechanical parts, Exposure to dust/fumes, Exposure to potential electrical shock, Exposure to x ray/electromagnetic energy, Exposure to high pitched noises, Gaseous risk exposure Mental/Sensory – Emotional Mental/Sensory: Strong Recall, Reasoning, Problem Solving, Hearing, Speak Clearly, Write Legibly, Reading, Logical Thinking Emotional: Fast pace environment, Steady Pace, Able to Handle Multiple Priorities, Frequent and Intense Customer Interactions, Noisy Environment, Able to Adapt to Frequent Change Compensation Range $78,250.00 - $133,578.00 Actual salary offers will be based on several key factors to include relevant work experience, credentials, and qualifications.
Days EEO Employer/Disabled/Protected Veteran