CLINICAL NURSE EDUCATOR, TRAUMA SURGICAL ICU / HARBORVIEW MEDICAL CENTER

University of Washington•Seattle, WA

3d•$140,004 - $186,000•Onsite

About The Position

Harborview Medical Center has an outstanding opportunity with the PDNE (Professional Development and Nursing Excellence) team for a Clinical Nurse Educator (CNE), Trauma Surgical ICU (TSICU). The Clinical Nurse Educator promotes clinical excellence and patient safety in the Trauma/Surgical Intensive Care Unit (TSICU) through staff education, competency development, evidence-based practice, and quality improvement. The role identifies learning needs, develops and evaluates educational programs, and supports nurses in delivering safe, high-quality care to critically ill and injured patients. In collaboration with nursing leadership and interdisciplinary partners, the educator advances clinical standards, professional development, and continuous improvement. The TSICU cares for patients with complex, rapidly changing conditions, including multisystem trauma and complex surgical needs. The Clinical Nurse Educator translates current evidence, clinical standards, leadership priorities, and regulatory requirements into practical education that supports safe bedside care. The role balances educational priorities with patient acuity and unit operations while supporting staff with varying experience levels. It requires clinical expertise, collaboration, and the ability to address practice gaps and evaluate the impact of education on competency and patient outcomes. The Clinical Nurse Educator strengthens nursing competency, staff readiness, patient safety, and clinical quality. Through evidence-based education and practice improvement, the role supports regulatory readiness, professional development, and improved patient outcomes.

Requirements

Current Washington State Registered Nurse (RN) license.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
Five years of critical care clinical experience.
Two years of leadership experience, such as clinical education, clinical nurse specialist practice, nursing management, charge nursing, precepting, or quality improvement leadership.
Demonstrated ability to identify clinical practice gaps, implement improvements, and develop and evaluate educational programs.
Strong collaboration, communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills.
Commitment to a positive patient and staff experience.
Flexibility to meet workload demands, including occasional evening, night, and weekend rotations.

Nice To Haves

Trauma or surgical critical care experience at a Level I or Level II trauma center.
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or graduate degree in nursing education, nursing leadership, or a related field.
Experience in clinical education, nursing professional development, or staff education.
Experience applying adult learning principles, simulation, and competency-based assessment.
Experience in quality improvement, clinical audits, and regulatory or accreditation readiness.
Specialty certification in critical care, surgical nursing, or trauma nursing, such as CCRN or a relevant trauma nursing certification.
Experience coaching, mentoring, precepting, and developing nursing staff.
Equivalent education and/or experience may substitute for minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license, certification, and/or registration.

Responsibilities

Develop, deliver, and evaluate education through multiple modalities including classroom instruction, simulation, case-based learning, and bedside teaching.
Strengthen clinical judgment and decision-making in trauma and surgical critical care, with a primary focus on the TSICU.
Partner with nursing leadership to identify educational, patient safety, and quality improvement priorities.
Support the implementation of new clinical procedures, equipment, technologies, and evidence-based practices.
Analyze safety events, patient outcomes, audits, and nursing-sensitive quality indicators to identify practice gaps.
Develop and implement targeted education to address risks and improve clinical performance.
Lead or participate in quality improvement projects, clinical audits, and regulatory and accreditation readiness activities.
Evaluate educational effectiveness through competency results, practice observations, compliance data, and quality indicators.
Collaborate with nursing leadership, clinical specialists, providers, and interdisciplinary teams to advance clinical education and practice.
Support the onboarding and ongoing education of nursing and ancillary staff.
Participate in shared governance, unit-based councils, and organizational education initiatives.
Communicate clinical updates, safety lessons learned, and practice changes to promote consistent, high-quality care.
Develop, review, and maintain evidence-based nursing policies, procedures, clinical guidelines, and educational resources.
Partner with subject matter experts and nursing leaders to align clinical practices with current evidence and regulatory requirements.
Develop education to support the implementation of updated policies, clinical standards, and organizational initiatives.