Program Support Specialist
The Program Support Specialist provides essential coordination and administrative support for the clinical education program in the School of Nursing. This position is responsible for securing and maintaining clinical placement sites and mentors, tracking student and mentor compliance, managing clinical affiliation agreements, and resolving day-to-day placement and scheduling issues. The work of this position is critical to ensuring that nursing students are able to complete required clinical hours under qualified, IHL-compliant clinical mentors, and allows nursing faculty to focus their time on required in-person clinical evaluation of students rather than placement logistics.
Salary Grade: 12
Please see Staff Compensation Structure or Skilled Crafts and Service Maintenance Compensation Schedule for salary ranges. For salary grade UC, these positions are "Unclassified" and salary ranges are determined by the hiring department.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Student Placement and Scheduling
- Secure clinical mentors and confirm placement availability with affiliated agency representatives.
- Coordinate student clinical rotations with nurse managers and mentors across clinical units (e.g., Emergency Department, Labor & Delivery, PACU, Pediatrics, Wound Care, Ambulatory, Nursery).
- Request, receive, and track nurse and unit schedules; follow up as needed until rotations are confirmed.
- Assign students to clinical mentors in coordination with faculty input.
- Enter and maintain student clinical assignments and rotation dates in the placement tracking system.
- Communicate updated mentor availability and placement information to faculty.
- Manage last-minute placement cancellations, identify backup mentors or sites, and revise clinical schedules as needed.
- Clinical Affiliate and Mentor Relationship Management
- Conduct clinical site visits to maintain relationships with affiliated agencies, monitor mentor and student satisfaction, and support mentor recruitment.
- Maintain ongoing communication with current clinical affiliates and conduct outreach to prospective clinical sites.
- Maintain and regularly update the roster of available clinical mentors to reflect staffing changes at affiliated sites.
- Support mentor recruitment and retention through relationship-building with clinical site staff and leadership.
- Student and Mentor Compliance
- Monitor student compliance documentation (e.g., immunizations, background checks, required onboarding items) and follow up on missing or expired items.
- Coordinate annual updates to clinical compliance requirements (e.g., infection control) with each affiliated facility.
- Coordinate clinical orientation dates with partner hospitals and clinics.
- Coordinate student access and training for clinical information systems (e.g., EPIC) and assist with troubleshooting access issues.
- Mentor Documentation and Agreements
- Assemble and review clinical mentor packets, including affiliation agreements, license/credential verification, and orientation materials, for completeness and accuracy.
- Deliver orientation materials and mentor packets to clinical mentors and units, and coordinate required signatures.
- Maintain and submit updated student and mentor rosters to clinical sites.
- Initiate, track, and manage new and existing clinical affiliation agreements, including coordination with the university contracts/procurement office.
- Periodically audit existing affiliation agreements to confirm continued and adequate clinical placement coverage.
- Communication and Issue Resolution
- Serve as a primary point of contact for clinical mentors and students regarding placement logistics, documentation, and expectations.
- Coordinate with faculty and affiliated agencies to resolve mentor-student concerns and communicate resolutions to faculty.
- Respond to faculty inquiries regarding mentor availability and clinical placement status.
- Conduct periodic surveys of students regarding placement needs, mentor availability, and site access.
- Meetings and General Administrative Support
- Participate in regular meetings with clinical agency representatives regarding placement capacity and mentor verification.
- Support clinical mentor recognition and appreciation activities.
- Review, triage, and respond to incoming correspondence from agency representatives, clinical managers, and faculty related to clinical placements.
Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree; or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
1 year of experience in an administrative, coordination, or program support role, preferably in a higher education, healthcare, or clinical education setting.
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience coordinating clinical placements, internships, or practicum experiences.
Familiarity with healthcare compliance and credentialing requirements (e.g., immunization tracking, licensure verification).
Experience working with affiliation agreements or contracts
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent clinical placements and deadlines.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate professionally with clinical agency staff, mentors, faculty, and students.
Ability to build and maintain professional working relationships with external healthcare partners.
Working knowledge of, or ability to learn, clinical placement and compliance tracking systems (e.g., InPlace, CastleBranch, Typhon, EPIC).
Ability to exercise sound judgment and problem-solving skills in resolving scheduling conflicts and placement issues, including on short notice.
Ability to maintain confidentiality of student and mentor records.
Proficiency with standard office software (e.g., Microsoft Office/Outlook) and willingness to adopt new digital workflow tools.
Working Conditions and Physical Effort:
Primarily an office environment with regular local travel to affiliated clinical sites for site visits, mentor orientation, and document delivery. May require occasional early-morning or after-hours availability to support clinical placement needs and time-sensitive issue resolution.
Instructions for Applying:
All applicants must apply at www.msujobs.msstate.edu by submitting a cover letter, resume, and the contact information for three professional references.
Restricted Clause:
Position is contingent upon continued availability of funding.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:
Mississippi State University is an equal opportunity institution. Discrimination is prohibited in university employment, programs or activities based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, or any other status to the extent protected by applicable law. Questions about equal opportunity programs or compliance should be directed to the Office of Civil Rights Compliance, 231 Famous Maroon Band Street, P.O. 6044, Mississippi State, MS 39762, (662) 325-5839.
What do I do if I need an accommodation?
In compliance with the ADA Amendments Act (ADA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position with Mississippi State University, please contact the Department of Human Resources Management at tel: (662) 325-3713 or ada@hrm.msstate.edu.
If you have any questions regarding this policy, contact the Department of Human Resources Management at (662) 325-3713 or ada@hrm.msstate.edu. Upon request, sections of this job listing are available in large print, and readers are available to assist the visually impaired.
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