Clinical Nurse Educator (RN) - Full Time

Mercy Heart Hospital

Mercy Heart Hospital is seeking a passionate and experienced Clinical Nurse Educator (RN) to support the professional growth, clinical excellence, and ongoing development of our nursing team. This role is responsible for leading orientation, competency programs, continuing education, career development initiatives, and academic partnerships while promoting evidence-based practice, patient safety, and exceptional patient experiences.

Position Summary

The Clinical Nurse Educator serves as a key resource for nursing staff and leaders by developing, implementing, and evaluating educational programs that support onboarding, competency validation, professional development, and clinical performance improvement. This role partners closely with leadership and frontline staff to foster a culture of learning, excellence, and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

Education & Program Development

• Design, implement, and evaluate onboarding, orientation, and competency-based educational programs for licensed and unlicensed coworkers.
• Develop curriculum that incorporates:
  • Evidence-based practice
  • Mercy Nursing Professional Practice Model
  • Patient Experience initiatives
  • Organizational priorities and strategic goals
• Ensure educational content is inclusive and tailored to diverse learning styles, literacy levels, and cultural backgrounds.
• Seek and incorporate feedback to continuously improve educational effectiveness and efficiency.

Orientation & Competency Management

• Develop and maintain comprehensive orientation and ongoing competency plans.
• Coordinate orientation schedules and educational requirements for new hires.
• Maintain accurate records of initial and ongoing competency completion.
• Monitor compliance and communicate delinquent education requirements to appropriate leaders.

Staff Development & Learning Support

• Create a learning environment that encourages engagement, growth, and professional development.
• Utilize adult learning principles and a variety of instructional methods, including:
  • Classroom training
  • Virtual learning
  • Simulation exercises
  • Mock events
  • Case studies
  • Skills validation activities
• Serve as a mentor, preceptor, role model, and clinical resource for staff.

Collaboration & Academic Partnerships

• Partner with peers to deliver hospital-wide and regional educational programs and residency curricula.
• Collaborate with academic institutions and serve as adjunct faculty for School of Nursing partners, as appropriate.
• Support Safe Patient Handling initiatives as a Unit Peer Leader.

Leadership & Performance Improvement

• Serve as an educational consultant and actively participate on councils, committees, and professional organizations.
• Collaborate with operational leaders to identify performance gaps and develop targeted remediation plans.
• Support ministry-wide education strategies and quality improvement initiatives.
• Act as a change agent by identifying educational needs and facilitating successful adoption of new practices.

Communication & Professional Engagement

• Demonstrate strong communication, conflict resolution, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
• Provide timely and constructive feedback to learners and staff.
• Effectively communicate research findings, project outcomes, and educational updates to leadership and coworkers.
• Promote and support utilization of Mercy patient education resources.
• Encourage and assist staff in pursuing professional growth opportunities.

Clinical & Technical Expertise

• Maintain competency in unit-specific clinical skills, equipment, and technologies.
• Demonstrate proficiency with:
  • Electronic Medical Records (EMR)
  • Microsoft Office Suite
  • Learning Management Systems (LMS)
  • Scheduling platforms
  • Audiovisual equipment
• Maintain current knowledge of Mercy policies and procedures, including infection prevention, emergency preparedness, HIPAA, and patient privacy requirements.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Current RN license in the applicable state.
• Current American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
• Experience requirements:
  • Bachelor's degree in Nursing or related field: Minimum 2 years of clinical nursing experience.
  • Associate degree in Nursing: Minimum 10 years of hospital nursing experience, or 5 years of hospital nursing experience with active enrollment in an RN-to-BSN program.
• Demonstrated clinical expertise and knowledge of evidence-based practice.
• Ability to positively influence patient care outcomes and clinical practice.
• Strong organizational, project management, and multitasking skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
• Knowledge of clinical equipment and technologies used in patient care delivery.
• Experience using educational, presentation, and audiovisual technologies preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

• Specialty certification or active pursuit of certification relevant to assigned area of responsibility.
• Minimum 2 years of teaching, training, or educator experience.
• Additional specialty certifications such as:
  • ACLS
  • PALS
  • NRP
  • STABLE
  • TNCC
  • ENPC

Why Mercy?

At Mercy, we are committed to bringing compassionate care and clinical excellence together. As a Clinical Nurse Educator, you'll play a vital role in shaping the next generation of nursing professionals while supporting a culture focused on learning, safety, innovation, and exceptional patient outcomes.

Join Mercy Heart Hospital and help empower nurses to deliver outstanding care every day.