System Perioperative Nurse Educator

Appalachian Regional Healthcare, Inc.•Lexington, KY

About The Position

The System Perioperative Nurse Educator functions as an educator, facilitator, consultant, change agent, and leader. The role coordinates and delivers educational activities that promote competency, professional development, and clinical excellence among Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) perioperative personnel. It assesses, plans, develops, implements, and evaluates educational programs supporting orientation, competency validation, continuing education, leadership development, regulatory compliance, quality improvement, and evidence-based perioperative practice across ARH surgical services. The educator designs and delivers learning opportunities using adult learning principles and evidence-based instructional methods. The role facilitates onboarding, orientation, competency assessments, and continuing professional development, and maintains educational and competency records in accordance with organizational policies and compliance requirements. It collaborates with nursing leadership, perioperative leaders, and interdisciplinary teams to develop standardized education that supports consistency, quality, patient safety, regulatory compliance, and clinical excellence across the ARH system. The educator also serves as a resource, mentor, and change agent in advancing perioperative practice and workforce development, maintains positive relationships with internal and external customers, and supports organizational goals through educational leadership and continuous improvement. Travel to various ARH facilities is required to provide perioperative education and support. The position works under the direction of the Vice President-Perioperative, with matrixed reporting responsibilities to the Senior Director of Nursing Education.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Nursing (BSN) required, or plan to obtain it within two years of hire.
Five years of varied surgical services experience required.
Strong understanding of rural Appalachian culture.
Broad knowledge of clinical nursing, including current trends, safety precaution policies, equipment, electronic healthcare records management software, accrediting agency standards, and local, state, and federal regulations.
Working understanding of adult teaching and learning theories and program assessment, design, promotion and marketing implementation, and evaluation processes.
General knowledge of scope of practice, evidence-based practices, the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics for Nurses, and the Patients’ Bill of Rights.
Attention to detail, time management, and organizational skills, with the ability to work with initiative and independence.
Strong written and public-speaking skills, including the ability to clearly and professionally explain medical, technical, or sensitive information to diverse audiences.
Intermediate knowledge of word processing, presentation, and email software, including Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Publisher, and Outlook.
Working understanding of Microsoft SharePoint, Adobe Captivate, and electronic medical records, and aptitude for learning new programs.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team, with exceptional attention to detail and organizational skills.
Ability to prioritize and delegate assignments under varied and urgent conditions, work within standardized procedures, and meet objectives and deadlines.
Ability to identify and solve complex problems by analyzing multiple sources of information and providing new perspectives on existing solutions.
Ability to protect the privacy of each patient’s Protected Health Information (PHI).
Ability to develop collaborative relationships with internal and external groups, including clinical and support staff, other departments, management, ARH Clinical Nurse Educators, college staff, regional CPR training program coordinators, and regulatory agencies, to coordinate educational needs and ensure compliance.
Travel to various ARH facilities is required.

Nice To Haves

One year of nursing education experience preferred.
Experience presenting educational programs preferred.

Responsibilities

Assumes ownership and responsibility for attaining, developing, and maintaining educational and instructional expertise.
Facilitates centralized orientation.
Responds to changes in perioperative practice and develops programs to support those changes.
Ensures educational programs align with organizational missions, values, and goals.
Maintains flexibility while managing multiple roles and responsibilities.
Interprets and communicates across multiple disciplines.
Promotes a safe and healthy work environment.
Serves as a role model for education, professionalism, excellence, and safety, and promotes lifelong learning.
Leads committees, work groups, and projects related to educational activities.
Provides educational resources for perioperative personnel.
Acts as a clinical resource for perioperative personnel, using evidence-based standards and professional guidelines.
Assists perioperative personnel in evaluating current practice through quality and process improvement measures.
Collaborates with other healthcare team members as required.
Facilitates and monitors perioperative personnel compliance with organizational policies and procedures and regulatory and accreditation standards.
Mentors team members as required.
Manages educational projects, including fiscal responsibility.
Assists perioperative personnel in assessing individual learning needs and learning styles.
Maintains perioperative employee educational data and records as required.
Facilitates student learning experiences in the perioperative setting.
Pursues professional growth and participates in professional organizations.
Acts as a patient advocate and protects the privacy and confidentiality of individuals and health information.
Performs miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned.