Clinical Practice Education Specialist (CPES) - Inpatient Acute / Oncology

City of Hope; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Hope Orange County is expanding its cancer care footprint in Irvine, inviting a Clinical Practice Education Specialist to advance nursing education and practice across oncology services. The CPES will design, implement, and evaluate orientation, onboarding, competency validation, and ongoing professional development for nursing staff, with a focus on patient safety and quality care.

The role also provides mentorship, bedside education, and collaborates with physicians, pharmacists, and

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Nursing and CA RN license.
• Minimum 3 years oncology experience.
• ANCC Magnet-recognized certifications (DDCT).
• Minimum 1 year in education (preferred).

Responsibilities

• Develops and evaluates orientation and ongoing professional development programs for nursing staff.
• Assesses education needs using data, outcomes, and regulatory requirements.
• Designs and delivers evidence-based clinical education for oncology nursing.
• Provides mentorship and bedside education to nurses and staff.
• Leads clinical practice improvement initiatives to enhance outcomes and safety.
• Collaborates with multidisciplinary partners to promote clinical excellence.

Skills

Clinical education

Nursing mentorship

Regulatory compliance

Patient safety

Education

Master's degree in Nursing

Job description

City of Hope Orange County is transforming cancer treatment by bringing world-class expertise and specialized care closer to home. Supported by a regional network of care, our 11-acre academic cancer campus in Irvine is home to City of Hope Orange County Lennar Foundation Cancer Center, our outpatient cancer center, and Orange County’s only cancer specialty hospital.

With the opening of the hospital, the full continuum of advanced cancer care—from prevention through survivorship—will be available in Orange County for the first time, eliminating the need to travel for lifesaving treatment. Seamlessly connected to our outpatient cancer center, the new clinical research hospital features 73 inpatient beds, advanced surgical suites, groundbreaking clinical trials, and holistic services such as rehabilitative therapy and spiritual care. This isn’t standard cancer care. This is lifesaving cancer care. This is Hope.

Position Summary:

The Clinical Practice Education Specialist (CPES) serves as an expert resource, educator, and change agent supporting the professional development and clinical practice of nursing staff. The CPES is responsible for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of evidence-based educational programs and clinical competency activities that enhance patient outcomes, nursing practice, and the overall quality of care. This position will float to and cover other departments as needed.

As a successful candidate, you will:

• Develops, coordinates, implements, and evaluates orientation, onboarding, competency validation, and ongoing professional development programs for nursing staff across inpatient acute oncology, hematology/oncology, intensive care, and other high-acuity cancer care settings.
• Assesses clinical education needs and identifies practice gaps through quality and patient safety data, clinical outcomes, competency assessments, direct observation, regulatory requirements, and collaboration with nurse leaders and frontline staff.
• Designs and delivers evidence-based clinical education programs that support safe, high-quality oncology nursing practice, professional standards, quality improvement initiatives, patient safety, and regulatory and accreditation requirements.
• Provides clinical mentorship, coaching, and bedside education to nurses and other clinical staff, strengthening clinical judgment, critical thinking, assessment skills, and management of complex and rapidly changing oncology patients.
• Serves as a clinical practice resource and subject matter expert for complex inpatient oncology care, including hematologic malignancies, oncologic emergencies, high-risk therapies, treatment-related toxicities, symptom management, infection prevention, transfusion support, and management of acute clinical deterioration.
• Supports the integration of current evidence, emerging oncology research, new cancer therapies, technology, and evolving standards of care into clinical practice, education, and competency requirements.
• Leads or supports evidence-based practice and clinical practice improvement initiatives designed to enhance patient outcomes, care delivery, staff competency, clinical effectiveness, and the patient and family experience.
• Collaborates with nursing leaders, physicians, advanced practice providers, pharmacists, and other interdisciplinary partners to promote a culture of clinical excellence, patient safety, quality improvement, and innovation across inpatient oncology services.
• Participates in the development, review, revision, implementation, and dissemination of evidence-based policies, procedures, clinical practice guidelines, protocols, and educational resources for inpatient oncology care.
• Promotes professional development, specialty certification, continuing education, and lifelong learning among inpatient oncology nursing staff, identifying opportunities to advance specialty knowledge and clinical expertise.
• Develops and facilitates simulation-based education, mock codes, rapid-response training, and high-risk/low-frequency event education to strengthen staff readiness for oncologic emergencies, clinical deterioration, and other critical events.
• Evaluates the effectiveness of educational interventions and competency programs through learner feedback, performance data, clinical outcomes, and quality and safety metrics; uses findings to drive continuous improvement.
• Engages in scholarly and professional activities, including evidence-based practice, quality improvement, research, conference presentations, professional education, and publication or dissemination of clinical and educational outcomes, as appropriate.

Your qualifications should include:

• Master’s degree in Nursing
• Current California RN license
• Minimum of three (3) years oncology experience or applicable experience in area of specialty
• Specialty Nursing Certification,ANCC Magnet-recognized certifications as updated in ANCC Demographic Data Collection Tool® (DDCT)
• Minimum of one (1) year in education (preferred)

City of Hope employees pay is based on the following criteria: work experience, qualifications, and work location.

City of Hope is an equal opportunity employer.

To learn more about our Comprehensive Benefits, please click here