Job description

Other things that staff educators may be involved in on any given day includes:

Managing the preceptor system;

Validating competencies;

Being the gate keeper for nursing policy and procedures;

Managing American Heart Association training;

and there is always the chance that you could be pulled into staffing when a shortage crisis arises.

Staff educator roles vary greatly from place to place. They also vary from person to person and from day to day. Hospitals often use it as a "catch all" or "jack of all trades" role. So the "typical day" question is pretty difficult to answer.

I work for a hospital that has at least 1, but sometimes 2, nurse educators in each unit. These nurses are BSN-prepared and have a blended role that includes both shifts scheduled for direct patient care and shifts scheduled as "office days" to work on educational projects for their unit. These folks report to the unit Director. We also have MSN prepared nurse educators who report to a centralized Education Department, but who may be assigned to a particular unit and have their office on that unit. These nurse educators oversee education in the hospital, mentor the BSN-level educators, and do some of the more sophisticated program planning and evaluation. Together, the education team provides all the routine education (such as orientation, OSHA training, new equipment inservices, etc.) and tries to help the staff develop new skills. They monitor the quality of the practice on the unit, keep abreast with national trends and new developments in care, and implement changes that will improve practice.

Each one of those job functions involves multiple steps -- assessing the staff's needs, researching the topic, planning educational programs, providing the programs, evaluating the programs and the resulting changes in practice. Most educators also (unfortunately) have to do the record-keeping for all of the education. So there can be a lot of paperwork involved.

Many educators also participate in hosptial-wide committees as representatives of their unit. They may also help interview job applicants and counsel employees who are struggling to master the skills needed for the job. Eductors are often asked by managers to "fix" employees who are not performing up to the level desired. Strong interpersonal skills are a must for these types of roles.

Well ... that's a few thoughts to start with. I am sure others will add to my comments. You should also go to your local nursing library and browse some of the books on nursing staff development. There are many to choose from. There is also a Journal for Nurses in Staff Development that would be well worth your time to browse.

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