Associate Vice President, Nursing Professional Development

Overview UF Health is a leading academic health center serving Florida, the Southeast and beyond. Across our hospitals, colleges and research centers and institutes, experts collaborate to advance medicine through a shared mission and vision.

UF Health Central Florida is seeking an Associate Vice President (AVP) of Nursing Professional Development to join their team! They will provide strategic and operational leadership for the region-wide advancement of nursing professional development, clinical competency, professional practice, and nursing excellence. The AVP establishes and oversees an integrated professional development continuum that supports nurses from entry into practice through advanced clinical, professional, and leadership roles.

Responsibilities The AVP serves as the executive leader responsible for developing and executing the strategy to achieve and sustain ANCC Pathway to Excellence designation, creating the infrastructure, culture, evidence, engagement, and accountability necessary to demonstrate excellence in the nursing practice environment. This includes establishing the Pathway roadmap, conducting organizational readiness and gap assessments, coordinating enterprise-wide implementation of Pathway standards, engaging frontline nurses and leaders, overseeing documentation and evidence development, preparing for the Pathway nurse survey, and sustaining the culture and outcomes necessary for continued designation.

The AVP integrates professional development, education, competency management, career pathways, shared governance, evidence-based practice, leadership development, and professional recognition with organizational quality, safety, patient experience, workforce, and strategic priorities. The position collaborates with executive leadership, nursing leaders, physicians, educators, human resources, quality, patient experience, academic partners, and frontline staff to create a high-performing professional practice environment in which nurses are empowered to achieve excellence in clinical practice, professional growth, leadership, and patient care.

Qualifications Education:

• Registered Nurse with master’s degree in nursing, Healthcare Administration, Business, or related field (required)

Licensure/Certification:

• Current Florida Registered Nurse License (required)
• BLS Certification (required)

Experience:

• Minimum 5-7 years of progressive nursing leadership experience in a healthcare system, including experience in nursing professional development or education, clinical practice, nursing excellence, or organizational transformation (required).
• Experience leading or supporting an ANCC Magnet Recognition Program® or Pathway to Excellence® designation journey, competency systems, shared governance structures, or professional practice initiatives (preferred).

Knowledge, skills and abilities:

• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute region-wide professional development and nursing excellence strategies.
• Demonstrated expertise in nursing education, competency management, professional development, and clinical practice.
• Demonstrated ability to design and implement career pathways and workforce development programs.
• Demonstrated ability to lead change and culture transformation.
• Knowledge of ANCC Pathway to Excellence, professional practice, shared governance, and nursing excellence frameworks.
• Exceptional executive communication, relationship-building, facilitation, coaching, and change management skills.

Strategic Leadership and Nursing Professional Excellence

• Develop and execute a region-wide strategy for nursing professional development, professional practice, clinical competency, career advancement, and nursing excellence.
• Establish a comprehensive professional development framework that aligns education, competency, career progression, certification, evidence-based practice, and professional recognition.
• Create and maintain clearly defined career pathways for nursing, including progression from novice to experienced clinician, specialty practice, advanced clinical roles, educator, and other professional pathways.
• Establish systems that enable nurses to identify development opportunities, establish professional goals, demonstrate competencies, and advance within the organization.