RN - Educator

Elderwood • Grand Island, NY

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Elderwood is seeking an experienced Registered Nurse who can combine clinical education with active nursing practice. This is not a classroom-only Educator position. You will lead orientation, competency development, clinical education, and employee mentorship while remaining connected to resident care by working scheduled or operationally necessary shifts as a cart nurse. We believe that clinical connection strengthens nursing education. By practicing alongside the employees you support, you will understand their workflows, recognize real-time learning needs, model strong nursing practice, and provide coaching grounded in the realities of the unit. The right candidate will enjoy developing nurses and CNAs - but will also be comfortable administering medications and treatments, managing a resident assignment, documenting care, communicating changes in condition, and supporting the nursing team when direct-care coverage is needed. This is a Blended Education and Clinical-Practice Role where you will lead new-hire orientation, clinical education, competency validation, nurse-preceptor development, mandatory in-services, BLS and IV-certification programs, electronic-medical-record support, and Nursing Assistant Training Program activities. You will also maintain an active clinical presence by accepting cart-nurse assignments as part of the position. During direct-care shifts, you will be responsible for the nursing care associated with your assignment, including medication and treatment administration, assessment and monitoring, documentation, change-in-condition communication, care coordination, and CNA support. This blended structure allows you to maintain your bedside and medication-administration skills, understand current unit workflows and operational challenges, identify education needs through direct experience and observation, coach nurses and CNAs in the environment where care occurs, model the documentation, communication, and clinical standards you teach, build credibility and trust with frontline employees, and remain connected to residents, families, and the interdisciplinary team. This opportunity is best suited for an RN who believes the strongest educators remain connected to clinical practice. Elderwood at Cheektowaga is a skilled nursing community providing long-term care, memory care, and comprehensive subacute rehabilitation. Our clinical teams care for long-term residents and short-stay patients transitioning from hospital to home following illness, injury, surgery, orthopedic procedures, and cardiac conditions. The RN Educator serves as a primary clinical education resource for the facility, partnering with the Director of Nursing, Assistant Director of Nursing, Unit Managers, RN Supervisors, Nurse Preceptors, and department leaders to identify learning needs and strengthen clinical practice. You will also collaborate with the assigned Regional Nurse Consultant and other Elderwood clinical resources on competency development, organizational initiatives, regulatory readiness, and clinical standards. The RN Educator role provides a strong pathway into broader clinical and nursing leadership, offering experience influencing facility-wide practice, coaching employees, partnering with operational and clinical leaders, supporting regulatory readiness, and translating quality priorities into frontline education. Registered Nurses who demonstrate strong performance, leadership potential, and an interest in future Director of Nursing opportunities may be considered for advanced development experiences, including Widener University’s Director of Nursing Leadership Academy.

Requirements

• Current license and registration to practice as a Registered Professional Nurse in New York State
• At least one year of experience in a long-term healthcare facility
• Experience providing in-service education or demonstrated skill in clinical teaching
• Current clinical confidence in medication administration, treatments, assessment, documentation, and change-in-condition management
• Willingness and ability to accept a resident assignment and work as a cart nurse when scheduled or operationally necessary
• Ability to teach, coach, mentor, and communicate effectively with employees at different experience levels
• Ability to work cooperatively with frontline employees, preceptors, managers, department leaders, and senior facility leadership
• Strong verbal, written, organizational, and documentation skills
• Ability to manage education, orientation, competency, compliance, and direct-care responsibilities
• Ability to use electronic medical records, learning-management systems, and standard computer applications
• Ability to read, write, speak, and understand English at the level necessary for safe care and effective workplace communication

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing or another relevant baccalaureate degree
• Previous RN Educator, Staff Development Coordinator, Nurse Educator, preceptor, RN Supervisor, Unit Manager, or clinical-instructor experience
• Skilled nursing, subacute rehabilitation, or geriatric nursing experience
• Experience developing nursing competencies or supporting regulatory surveys
• Experience with IV therapy, wound care, enteral feeding, post-acute care, or other complex nursing services
• Experience supporting CNA training or Nursing Assistant Training Programs
• Experience as an electronic-medical-record super user

Responsibilities

• Lead new-hire orientation and onboarding, including planning and coordinating general orientation, leading licensed-nurse, CNA, and Support Aide orientation, and partnering with Unit Managers and Nurse Preceptors to strengthen department-based orientation.
• Provide education, coaching, and follow-up to help new nurses transition successfully into practice and evaluate orientation effectiveness.
• Plan, deliver, and evaluate nursing education based on clinical needs, quality priorities, regulatory requirements, and identified competency gaps.
• Coordinate annual and ongoing clinical-skills competency testing for licensed nurses and collaborate on employee development.
• Schedule and lead IV-certification programming and coordinate and teach BLS-certification programming.
• Serve as a clinical resource for nurses needing guidance or reinforcement and develop education related to new clinical practices, procedures, equipment, policies, and resident-care needs.
• Reinforce strong assessment, change-in-condition response, documentation, infection prevention, medication safety, and interdisciplinary communication.
• Coordinate CNA and Support Aide orientation programs and serve as a primary instructor for the Nursing Assistant Training Program when applicable.
• Assist with Prometric testing coordination for Nursing Assistant Trainees and ensure Nursing Assistants receive required in-service education.
• Support CNA development through practical education, coaching, and reinforcement of care standards.
• Accept cart-nurse assignments as scheduled or needed based on facility operations and resident-care priorities.
• Manage the nursing care and clinical responsibilities associated with the assigned resident group, including medication and treatment administration, assessment and monitoring, documentation, change-in-condition communication, care coordination, and CNA support.
• Coordinate delivery of mandatory corporate and facility in-service education.
• Maintain the monthly education calendar and required reports, enroll employees in Learning Management System programs, and track module completion, competency documentation, certification status, and required education hours.
• Follow up with employees and leaders regarding incomplete education requirements.
• Serve as a clinical super user for the electronic medical record and help employees use the system accurately.
• Perform employee vaccinations, health screenings, and assigned medical testing.
• Coordinate emergency-preparedness exercises, including fire, disaster, and Code Blue drills.
• Maintain required education, drill, screening, and competency records.
• Support facility readiness for surveys, audits, emergencies, and clinical-quality reviews.

Benefits

• Clinical schedule flexibility

What This Job Offers

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