CLINICAL NURSE EDUCATOR, ACUTE CARE

University of Washington Medical Center•Seattle, WA

3d•$140,004 - $183,000•Onsite

About The Position

Harborview Medical Center – PDNE (Professional Development and Nursing Excellence) dept. has an outstanding opportunity for Clinical Nurse Educator (CNE), Acute Care. The Acute Care CNE advances nursing excellence by leading clinical education, competency development, evidence-based practice, patient safety, and quality improvement initiatives across inpatient acute care services. The CNE collaborates with nursing leadership, providers, ancillary staff, and interprofessional teams to assess educational and practice needs, develop and implement learning programs, support regulatory and accreditation readiness, and promote safe, high-quality patient care. This position serves as a clinical resource and change agent, integrating evidence-based practices, organizational priorities, and continuous quality improvement into nursing practice, competency development, and professional growth across multiple acute care specialties.

Requirements

Minimum of five (5) years of recent clinical nursing experience in acute care, medical-surgical nursing, progressive care, telemetry, rehabilitation, critical care, emergency nursing, or another relevant inpatient specialty.
Minimum of two (2) years of clinical leadership experience, such as educator, charge nurse, preceptor, quality improvement lead, assistant nurse manager, nurse manager, clinical nurse specialist, or similar role.
Demonstrated ability to assess clinical practice and educational needs, identify performance gaps, and implement sustainable improvement strategies.
Experience leading quality improvement, patient safety, evidence-based practice, or regulatory readiness initiatives.
Excellent communication, facilitation, organizational, and relationship-building skills.
Ability to adapt to changing operational priorities and provide occasional evening, night, or weekend educational support as needed.
Ability to work independently in a complex healthcare environment, proactively assess organizational and educational needs, prioritize competing demands, and take initiative to develop and implement effective solutions with minimal direction.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Nursing, Nursing Education, Healthcare Administration, or a related field.
Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) certification or previous CNS experience.
Nursing Professional Development Board Certification (NPD-BC).
National specialty certification appropriate to acute care practice (e.g., CCRN, PCCN, CMSRN, MEDSURG-BC, CNRN, CRRN, or equivalent).
Previous experience in nursing professional development, competency management, onboarding, or clinical instruction.
Experience leading interdisciplinary quality improvement, evidence-based practice, and organizational change initiatives.
Experience supporting Magnet®, Pathway to Excellence®, or regulatory accreditation activities.

Responsibilities

Provides clinical education, competency validation, and ongoing practice support for nurses and other designated clinical staff across inpatient acute care units.
Collaborates with nurse managers, assistant nurse managers, clinical nurse specialists, providers, and interprofessional teams to assess educational needs and identify competency and practice gaps.
Develops, implements, and evaluates education programs that promote safe, evidence-based, patient-centered nursing practice.
Supports development related to nursing practice, equipment, technologies, medications, and specialty nursing skills.
Coordinates education supporting new graduate nurses, experienced staff, and transition-to-practice initiatives.
Promotes standardized nursing practices and evidence-based care across inpatient units.
Contributes to regulatory and accreditation readiness through competency validation, staff education, and compliance with organizational standards.
Develops, reviews, and maintains evidence-based nursing policies, procedures, clinical guidelines, and educational resources.
Partners with subject matter experts and nursing leaders to ensure clinical practices reflect current evidence and regulatory requirements.
Develops and delivers education supporting implementation of new policies, clinical standards, and organizational initiatives.
Reviews patient safety events, nursing-sensitive quality indicators, and operational data to identify opportunities for improvement.
Designs and implements educational interventions to address quality and patient safety priorities.
Collaborates with nursing leadership on hospital-wide quality improvement initiatives.
Supports implementation and dissemination of evidence-based practices to improve patient outcomes.
Participates in root cause analyses, action planning, and sustainment of improvement initiatives.