Director of Clinical Education

About the role

The Director of Clinical Education provides strategic, operational, and professional leadership for clinical education and nursing professional development within a unionized hospital environment. This role is essential to advancing clinical excellence, workforce capability, and professional practice.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic, operational, and professional leadership for clinical education and nursing professional development in a hospital environment.
• Design, implement, and evaluate hospital-wide clinical education programs that support nursing excellence, professional practice, and high-quality patient care.
• Partner with shared governance councils to identify learning needs, support council-driven initiatives, and integrate frontline staff input into education planning.
• Ensure all education programs, competencies, and professional development initiatives comply with applicable collective bargaining agreements and Nursing standards of care.
• Maintain transparent, standardized, and equitable processes for mandatory education, competency validation, preceptor programs, and advancement opportunities.
• Oversee onboarding and orientation for newly hired and transitioning clinical staff.
• Ensure ongoing competency validation and continuing education for licensed clinical staff across all departments and shifts.
• Support professional certification, academic advancement, and lifelong learning for clinical staff.
• Design and oversee competency frameworks aligned with regulatory requirements, patient safety priorities, and evidence-based practice.
• Collaborate with Quality, Patient Safety, Risk Management, and Infection Prevention leaders to address learning needs identified through quality data, adverse events, and performance trends.
• Lead and mentor clinical educators, preceptors, and emerging leaders in adult learning principles, instructional design, and professional development.
• Support leadership development, succession planning, and workforce development initiatives in collaboration with nursing and organizational leadership.
• Oversee education infrastructure and technology, including learning management systems (LMS).
• Establish metrics and outcome measures to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of education programs on clinical competence, quality indicators, workforce engagement, and Magnet readiness.
• Analyze education and performance data to inform strategic planning and continuous improvement.
• Prepare and present education-related reports to nursing leadership, executive leadership, shared governance councils, and Magnet committees.
• Direct and manage the clinical education department, including staffing, role clarity, performance management, professional development and lead mentorship program.
• Develop, manage, and monitor the clinical education budget, ensuring fiscal responsibility and alignment with organizational priorities and labor agreements.
• Collaborate with the SBUH Clinical Education department to ensure alignment on educational initiatives and work in partnership to meet the organization’s goals.
• Establish metrics and outcome measures to evaluate effectiveness and identify departmental opportunities.

Requirements

• Current licensure to practice professional nursing in New York State.
• Master’s degree.
• Minimum 7–10 years of current clinical hospital experience.
• 3–5 years leadership in clinical education.
• Current knowledge of medical/surgical nursing practice with strong analytic skills.
• Critical Care Experience.
• Proficient in computer knowledge including Microsoft Office Suite.
• Current BLS, PALS and ACLS provider certifications from the American Heart Association.

Preferred Experience And Qualifications

• Doctoral degree; NPD - BC or CNE certification.
• Prior Magnet application or designation experience.