The Clinical Education Specialist is responsible for implementing strategies that promote optimal learning and the effective translation of knowledge and skills to the learners practice environment to enhance competence. The Clinical Education Specialist facilitates and supervises nursing professional development by engaging nurses in lifelong learning activities to enhance their professional competence and role performance. Operates in both the learning and practice environment to meet the demands of the practice setting. Leads and supervises the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and attitudes to support the provision of safe and high quality care. The Clinical Education Specialist is accountable for formal and informal staff education, patient/family education, orientation, and initial/annual competencies. Identifies learning needs, develops and implements educational strategies, and evaluates learning effectiveness.

Job Specific Duties

• Develops, coordinates, manages, facilitates, conducts, evaluates, and supervises onboarding and orientation programs.
• Coordinates preceptor identification for each new staff member based on careful consideration of learning style, experience, and schedule.
• Tracks, monitors, and supervises new employee progress during orientation period, meets weekly with employee and develops/review incremental goals. Leads biweekly meetings with Horizon Program Leadership for all Horizon Nurse Residents.
• Coaches and counsels new employees when orientation milestones are not achieved and develops remediation plan.
• Identifies the educational needs of clinical staff; designs, develops, coordinates, provides and supervises educational activities through an evidence-based process and develops an annual educational plan.
• Responsible for measuring, documenting, and supporting competency, and for addressing deficiencies in clinical nurse competence.
• Designs educational activities to address practice gaps for identified target audiences to achieve specific outcomes.
• Implement educational programs to enhance staff performance and evaluates educational outcomes.
• Accountable for completion of the annual competency assessment process and plan through collaboration with nurse leaders, Learning & Development department, and regulatory leaders.
• Maintains knowledge of competencies by attending and presenting at professional conferences.
• Provides guidance on new practices, consulting with experts as appropriate, to design education plans.
• Plans, develops, implements, and evaluates both formal and informal educational and professional development activities; including orientation, staff updates, and ongoing continuing education.
• Applies evidence-based practices to orientation and ongoing education, applying adult learning and education principles.