Registered Nurse - Clinical Nurse Educator

Veterans Health Administration • Fayetteville, NC

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Critical Care Nurse Educator is accountable for developing and delivering professional growth, employee development, and education programs throughout the Critical Care units at the Fayetteville NC VA Coastal Healthcare System, including the Intensive Care Unit and Emergency Department. The educator fosters critical thinking among critical care staff and evaluates educational and process outcomes.

The role includes clinical teaching and facilitation of clinical skills, employee orientation and progress evaluation, development of learning plans to address identified deficiencies, and initiation and completion of annual staff competencies. The educator works collaboratively with Patient Care Services leadership and other medical center services to develop and implement service-wide and facility-wide educational programs and initiatives. The position also participates in continuing education and professional development, and teaches in classroom and clinical settings, including facilitating training and implementation of nursing-related computer application changes.

The educator supports staff knowledge and skills in critical care practice, including care of critically ill patients in the ED and ICU, Emergency Severity Index scoring, Emergency Department Information System operation, mechanical ventilation, transvenous pacemakers, hemodynamic monitoring, vasoactive-drip titration, patient safety and team competencies, evidence-based practice, moral distress, end-of-life care, pain and sedation management, Trauma Nurse Core Course training, Tele Stroke, and Tele ICU utilization.

This is a permanent, non-virtual position with a Monday-through-Friday schedule from 0730 to 1600. Compressed or flexible scheduling, telework, relocation, and recruitment incentives are not available or authorized.

Requirements

• Graduate from a professional nursing program accredited by ACEN or CCNE, or meet the stated alternative education provisions for bridge-program or foreign-educated applicants.
• Current, full, active, and unrestricted registered professional nurse license in a U.S. State, Territory, Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia; the stated GNT exception may apply to eligible candidates pursuing licensure.
• Proficiency in basic written and spoken English.
• Meet the applicable VA Nurse grade and level requirements for education and professional or specialized nursing experience.
• Pass a pre-employment physical evaluation or examination.
• Meet applicable U.S. citizenship or appointment eligibility requirements.
• Complete required background/security investigation and onboarding requirements.
• Participate in the VA seasonal influenza vaccination program and complete annual Employee Health requirements, such as TB screening or testing.
• Be capable of working effectively in stressful situations and shifting priorities based on patient needs.
• Physical capability for the position, including visual acuity, hearing, speech, manual dexterity, and potentially prolonged periods of walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing; patient or object transfers may be required.
• Be prepared to use protective clothing in applicable exposure situations and to encounter infected patients, contaminated materials, or occasionally combative patients.
• Minimum of 5 years of RN experience is preferred.
• Minimum of 2–3 years of critical care, ER, or ICU experience is preferred.

Nice To Haves

• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN).
• Experience in education and staff development.
• At least 5 years of RN experience.
• At least 2–3 years of critical care, ER, or ICU experience.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver professional growth, employee development, and education programs for Critical Care units, including the ICU and Emergency Department.
• Foster critical-thinking skills among critical care staff and evaluate educational improvements and process outcomes.
• Teach and facilitate clinical skills for critical care learners in classroom and clinical settings.
• Orient new employees, evaluate their progress, and develop and implement learning plans to address identified deficiencies.
• Initiate and oversee completion of annual staff competencies.
• Coordinate individualized employee orientation and a variety of unit-level education programs.
• Assess and maintain staff competency, and support quality improvement and research utilization to enhance care of critically ill patients.
• Initiate Essentials of Critical Care Orientation (ECCO), ensure learning opportunities for new hires, and monitor progress throughout orientation.
• Collaborate with Patient Care Services leadership and other medical center services and affiliating CBOCs to develop and implement educational programs and initiatives.
• Participate in workshops and continuing education for career development and evidence-based practice knowledge.
• Facilitate training and implementation of changes in nursing-related computer applications.
• Teach and support staff competencies in critical care topics, including ED and ICU care, ESI scoring, EDIS, mechanical ventilation, transvenous pacemakers, hemodynamic monitoring, vasoactive-drip titration, patient safety, evidence-based practice, end-of-life care, pain and sedation management, TNCC, Tele Stroke, and Tele ICU.

Benefits

• 50 days of paid time off per year: 26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid Federal holidays.
• Traditional federal pension with 5-year vesting.
• Federal 401(k) with up to 5% in contributions by VA.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.
• Regular salary increases and potential performance awards.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level