Clinical Educator, DOU/Tele/MedSurg

Clinical Educator – Medical Surgical / Telemetry / DOU

Job Summary

Provides education leadership across Medical-Surgical, Telemetry, and Direct Observation Unit (DOU) departments. Responsible for planning, coordinating, implementing, and evaluating comprehensive education programs that ensure clinical competency, regulatory compliance, patient safety, operational efficiency, and financial stewardship. Leads structured orientation pathways, competency validation programs, advanced clinical training, and annual skills fairs.

Major Responsibilities / Essential Functions

Design and implement structured department orientation programs for newly hired RNs and ancillary staff.
Participate in Hospital-wide new employee orientation
Conduct routine in-service education sessions based on identified quality gaps, regulatory updates, and emerging evidence-based practices.
Lead mock codes (Code Blue, Rapid Response, Stroke Alerts) on a routine basis to improve emergency readiness and team communication.
Develop and oversee competency validation programs including annual skills check-offs and return demonstrations.
Plan and coordinate annual skills fairs, ensuring alignment with regulatory requirements and hospital priorities.
Provide advanced clinical training in telemetry interpretation, progressive care management, escalation protocols, and early warning score utilization.
Lead education initiatives aimed at reducing falls, pressure injuries, CAUTI, readmissions, and other hospital-acquired conditions.
Support cross-training and surge capacity planning across Med-Surg, Telemetry, and DOU.
Conduct chart audits and gap analyses to identify learning needs and implement corrective action plans.
Partner with Quality, Case Management, and Medical Staff to improve documentation accuracy and Case Mix Index (CMI).
Maintain accurate education records, competency documentation, and regulatory readiness binders.

Financial Stewardship

Support reduction of avoidable readmissions and associated penalties.
Improve throughput and appropriate level-of-care utilization.
Enhance documentation practices to optimize reimbursement and CMI.
Reduce overtime and agency utilization through structured onboarding and competency improvement.

Minimum Education

Bachelor of Science in Nursing required.

Preferred Education

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Master’s degree in related healthcare discipline preferred.

Experience

Minimum 3–5 years of Med-Surg, Telemetry, or Progressive Care experience required. Prior experience in education, precepting, clinical leadership, or performance improvement preferred.