Description

The Clinical Nurse Educator is a professional nurse who provides clinical expertise, education, and leadership to support excellence in home health nursing practice. This position works independently with in-depth knowledge of home health regulations, standards of care, and best practices to ensure safe, effective, and patient-centered care in the community. The Clinical Nurse Educator serves as an educator, consultant, and role model, fostering professional growth and clinical competence among home health nurses and home health aides. Key responsibilities include onboarding and orienting new clinicians, developing and evaluating staff competency, coaching field clinicians, and supporting continuous performance improvement initiatives. The Clinical Nurse Educator partners with managers to identify learning needs, recommend specialized training, and provide feedback on staff performance. This role emphasizes direct support of clinical staff in the field, facilitating problem solving in real-time patient care situations, and promoting adherence to evidence-based practice, agency policies, and regulatory requirements. The Clinical Nurse Educator collaborates with leadership to recommend staffing patterns and education strategies based on changing patient and community needs. Additionally, the Clinical Nurse Educator is committed to advancing the profession of home health nursing through integration of nursing theory, practice, and research, and by contributing to staff development, inter-professional collaboration,and quality improvement activities.

Core Competencies

Plans and teaches formal and informal professional education programs, including but not limited to seminars, inservices, case conferences, self-directed learning programs and computer assisted instruction.   Assists new nursing personnel to achieve baseline competence, maintain competence of experienced nurses, and promote advancement within the clinical levels.     Assesses, implements and evaluates educational programs addressing health needs for the patienUclient, the family and the community.   Provides direct patient care within the assigned area(s) in order to maintain clinical competence, provide role modeling of excellence in nursing practice, test application of the nursing process to specific patient populations, investigate patient care problem areas, define nursing staff clinical learning needs, and promote optimal interdisciplinary relationships through demonstration of     Consults with nurse colleagues and other disciplines in education, research and clinical practice issues.     Coordinates staff education offerings (securing speakers, reserving rooms, conducting presentations, etc.).     Ensures that staff are fully educated when new procedures or equipment are utilized in the department.     Assists with the annual competency evaluation and Skills Fair as required by the department's competency assessment plan.     Ensures Home Health Aide's complete continuing education hours as required by the Medicare Conditions of Participation.     Conducts periodic field tracers to assess continued readiness for accreditation including hand hygiene compliance and may conduct annual field competency joint visits.   Plans and provides education for orientation and training of the RN and therapy staff in regard to patient assessments, documentation, and use of standardized assessment tools as mandated by CMS including depression, pain and fall risk.     Participates in patient safety initiatives and educates staff on critical factors to prevent harm.     Acts as clinical resource to staff in providing in-services, validating competencies, and advising management on training needs.