Professional Practice Lead

Job Summary

As a key member of the Services for Seniors Shared Services Team, you will collaborate with the Region’s three Long-Term Care (LTC) homes to ensure consistent adherence to clinical best practices and compliance with all legislative and regulatory requirements. You will play a pivotal role in advancing high‑quality resident care by supporting the development, implementation, and evaluation of evidence‑informed clinical practices. 

In this role, you will work closely with Medical Directors, physicians, and clinical partners to provide strategic leadership in professional practice, fostering excellence in nursing and resident‑centered care. 

Reporting to the Manager, IPAC and Compliance, you will collaborate with Senior Nursing Managers and the Shared Services Team to identify needs, manage projects, and implement and evaluate clinical and IPAC programs, policies, procedures, skills assessments, and training initiatives. 

You will lead professional practice initiatives and contribute to building and sustaining structures that promote a high‑quality, safe, and supportive professional practice environment across all LTC homes. 

Duties & Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership and expert consultation on nursing practice issues, including scope of practice, clinical informatics, and practice standards to enhance the care environment and support high‑quality, resident‑centered outcomes.
• Design, implement, and evaluate capacity‑building programs to strengthen the knowledge, competencies, and clinical skill set of regulated staff across the Long‑Term Care (LTC) homes.
• As the clinical dementia care lead, provide leadership, program expansion, coaching, and support to staff to ensure they deliver consistent, compassionate, and evidence‑based dementia care.
• Complete the annual quality review process for all homes, collaborate with leadership teams to develop evidence‑informed action plans, and monitor progress to ensure improvements are implemented, evaluated, and sustained. 
• Co-lead the development, assessment, and continuous improvement of required clinical programs under the Long‑Term Care Homes Act and Fixing Long-Term Care Act, working collaboratively with the interdisciplinary Leadership team. 
• Plan, revise and oversee Clinical CQI program.  Partner with the Quality Improvement (QI) team to ensure timely completion of quality audits as per schedule, program evaluations, and related action plans; provide leadership to ensure recommendations translate into sustained improvements in care delivery. 
• Analyze, interpret, and apply clinical and quality indicators (e.g., responsive behaviours, falls, medication safety, antipsychotic use, infections, skin and wound care, restraint use, etc.) using validated quality improvement methodologies and tools, translating data into actionable strategies to improve quality.
• Collaborate with the Manager of IPAC & Compliance to conduct audits, investigations, and risk assessments related to high‑risk clinical concerns and Ministry of Long‑Term Care (MLTC) inspection findings. Evaluate existing processes, lead interdisciplinary improvement teams, and provide coaching and recommendations for corrective actions.
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with internal and external stakeholders—including Behavioural Supports Ontario, regulatory partners, professional associations, care providers, and community agencies—to support and advance evidence‑informed practice.
• Lead and oversee the organization's Best Practice Spotlight Organization (BPSO) work, ensuring effective implementation, evaluation, and sustainability of Best Practice Guidelines (BPGs) and alignment of policies and procedures with current best evidence.
• Support clinical practice leadership through functional meetings, mentoring, coaching, orientation support, and consultation on complex resident care situations.
• Facilitate quarterly clinical program education for registered staff in the homes.
• Develop and deliver educational strategies and learning initiatives that promote clinical excellence, professional standards, leadership and continuous learning within the LTC homes.
• Actively engage in policy and procedure review ensuring best practices and legislative compliance.
• Perform additional responsibilities as assigned, consistent with the scope and purpose of the Professional Practice Lead role.

Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing and is a Registered Nurse with the College of Nurses of Ontario.  
• A minimum of five (5) years’ experience demonstrating progressive leadership with the ability to provide clinical direction and professional guidance on standards of practice to the nursing team in Long Term Care.  
• Experience and knowledge related to adult learning principles, including the ability to support, coach, and educate clinical staff, will be considered an asset.  
• An equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.
• Must have knowledge and experience in infection prevention and control. LTC-CIP or CIC  would be an asset.   
• Comprehensive knowledge of the FLTCA and Regulations 246/22 and other applicable legislation is required.  
• A demonstrated understanding of quality improvement methodologies and tools with a proven ability to analyze data, implement quality improvement initiatives, solve problems and resolve conflicts is required.  
• Must have experience leading large-scale projects and best practice initiatives and be able to effectively, motivate, lead and train in a fast-paced environment.  
• Must communicate effectively both orally and in writing with all levels of the organization and have well-developed report writing and presentation skills.  
• Self-directed, result orientated and possess strong time management and project management skills.   

Working/ Employment Conditions

Working Conditions

• Travel will be required, incumbent must provide their own transportation. The incumbent will be required to provide a copy of their driver’s license by their first day of employment.
  
• The position is an in-person position between the 3 long term care homes and HRC. 

Employment Conditions 

• Current (obtained within the past six (6) months), original and acceptable Criminal Records Check with Vulnerable Sector Screen, by the first day of employment.
• Current two-step tuberculosis test (obtained within the past six (6 months) by your first day of employment unless previous negative 2 step TB test, in which case, a 1 step is required.