Educator I RN

Welcome to Saint Joseph Hospital, a 433-bed hospital founded in 1877 by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth as the first hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. Led by Sister Euphrasia Stafford, the mission to provide compassionate care to the underserved is still carried out today. Saint Joseph Hospital holds over two dozen national ranks and recognitions and is recognized as a 2024 Best Place to Work in Kentucky. 

Saint Joseph is part of CommonSpirit Health, a non-profit, Catholic health system dedicated to advancing health for all people. With approximately 175,000 employees and 25,000 physicians and advanced practice clinicians. 

Our commitment to serve the common good is delivered through the dedicated work of thousands of physicians, advanced practice clinicians, nurses, and staff; through clinical excellence delivered across a system of 140 hospitals and more than 2,200 care centers serving 24 states. 

Job Summary / Purpose

The RN Educator I is a Registered Nurse who works collaboratively within the System Clinical Education Department to facilitate clinical education programs, competence initiatives and professional development activities which support both nursing and clinical practice across CHI Saint Joseph Health, improving the quality of patient care and nursing practice with resultant improved patient outcomes. The goal of this position is to collaborate with RN Educator II and Clinical Education Leadership to identify, develop, and deliver educational programs for individuals and/or groups of learners in clinical, classroom, and virtual settings in specific areas of responsibility across CHI Saint Joseph Health. The RN Educator I is responsive to evolving educational needs across the system. The RN Educator I fosters empowerment of clinical staff by providing clinical instruction and support to assure clinical competency of staff safe, effective patient care and to support evidence-based practice. The RN Educator I is expected to actively participate in quality improvement (QI) and EBP processes across the system. The position supports core behaviors, standards, values, and missions of CHI Saint Joseph Health, accrediting bodies, and the profession of Nursing as a professional role model. The Educator 1 also serves as a resource to the community by promoting community outreach, healthcare awareness, and educational opportunities.

Essential Functions

• Clinical Expert
  • Serves as a role model to Nursing Staff in the delivery of excellent patient care for designated patient populations.
  • Collaborates with nursing and interdisciplinary colleagues to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate strategies to address complex patient care issues.
  • Assists staff with clinical decision-making and priority setting.
  • Collaborates with Clinical Leadership to develop, evaluate, and implement standards of patient care /care planning and professional practice with attention to quality, service, cost-effectiveness, comfort, safety, age-specific implications, and cultural competence.
  • Serves as a patient/family advocate, incorporating respect for and acknowledgement of cultural diversity and individual patient needs.
  • Maintains and integrates current evidenced-based knowledge into educational programming.
  • Promotes an environment consistent with the core concepts of Patient and Family Centered Care, and demonstration of the core values.
• Educator
  • Facilitates the ongoing education and professional development of the nursing staff and students.
  • Coordinates orientation of newly hired nursing department employees to the organization.
  • Plans, prepares, and maintains materials for use in competency-based educational programs, utilizing current standards, regulations, and validated evidenced-based research.
  • Plans and coordinates in-services, orientation, and educational programs for clinical staff to meet competency requirements in accordance with departmental objectives and appropriate accreditation standards.
  • Collaborates in the development or modification of patient education materials as appropriate.
  • Collaborates with RN Educator IIs across the system to develop learning needs assessments for clinical staff and programs and competency strategies to address identified learning needs.
  • Incorporates principles of adult learning in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of education and competency programs.
  • Participates in learning technologies via simulation, LMS, virtual classroom, and multimedia.
  • Communicates effectively in visual, oral, and written form and demonstrates effective presentation skills.
  • Assists in the fiscal and administrative operations through cost- effective use of resources, and participation in revenue-generating activities identified for the department and the organization.
  • Facilitates initial provider and renewal courses for BLS, ACLS, PALS.
  • Cooperates in the facilitation of departmental orientation and conducts a variety of in-service, orientation, and educational programs for clinical staff to meet competency assessment requirements in accordance with departmental objectives and accreditation standards, including but not limited to: Orientation; Initial and Ongoing Competencies; Core Curriculum; Required Certification Courses, Professional Development Program and Preceptor/Mentor Programs.
• Development of Self and Others
  • Maintains involvement in professional, community, and clinical specialty activities.
  • Role models customer service.
  • Collaborates and supports clinical student rotations.
  • Collaborates with RN Educator II colleagues to incorporate current research findings into educational activities, and supports and demonstrates evidence-based practice.
  • Challenges existing practice when not aligned with current best practices.
  • Maintains affiliation with professional nursing organizations.
  • Obtains and maintains professional certification.
  • Fosters attainment of professional certification for bedside nursing staff through mentoring, classes, programs, and study groups.
  • Promotes the concept of lifelong learning
• Leader
  • Strives for congruence between educational activities and organization mission and goals.
  • Demonstrates support for professional organizations and excellence in professional practice.
  • Serves as a professional role model.
  • Integrates ethical principles in all areas of clinical practice.

The job summary and responsibilities listed above are designed to indicate the general nature of the work performed within this job. They are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all job responsibilities required of employees assigned to this job. Employees may be required to perform other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience

• Bachelors Of Science, Nursing required. 

• Minimum of 3 years as a Registered Nurse required. 

Licensure and Certifications

• Registered Nurse: KY (RN:KY) required. 

• Basic Life Support - CPR (BLS-CPR) required. 

• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) required within 90 days. 

• Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) required within 6 months.