Nurse Educator (RN) - Days

Acadia Healthcare; Westminster (CO); On-site; USD 95,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Tuition reimbursement

Well-being programs

Job summary

West Pines Behavioral Hospital is seeking a Nurse Educator to lead education plans, onboarding, and ongoing staff development in a new 144-bed inpatient behavioral health facility in Westminster, CO. The role emphasizes regulatory compliance, evidence-based teaching, and collaboration with medical leadership to enhance patient safety.

The position requires a Master’s in nursing or related field, RN licensure, and 3–5+ years in clinical education with inpatient psychiatry experience preferred.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in nursing or related field preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in nursing required or commensurate experience.
• Five+ years strongly preferred in nursing.

Responsibilities

• Facilitates orientation/onboarding to promote employee retention.
• Designs and identifies educational activities to address practice gaps for target audiences.
• Collaborates with Nursing leadership to review outcomes data and refine competency activities.
• Develops and delivers didactic content and clinical skills for designated competencies.
• Ensures education programs meet Joint Commission, CARF, CMS, and state agency standards.
• Promotes safe, quality patient care and education across the continuum.

Skills

Education planning

Orientation delivery

Regulatory compliance

Evidence-based education

Infection prevention (may overlap)

Leadership

Clinical education

Education

Master's degree in nursing or related field

Bachelor's degree in nursing

RN license

NPD Practitioner certification (preferred)

1+ years clinical education/training

Job description

Overview

West Pines Behavioral Hospital is a new 144-bed inpatient behavioral health facility serving Denver area residents located at 11455 Huron Street, Westminster, CO. A joint venture between Intermountain Health and Acadia Healthcare. The hospital will provide comprehensive inpatient and intensive outpatient services to address the growing need for accessible, high-quality behavioral health care in the Denver metro area with an opening date of December 2024.

The Nurse Educator plays a critical role in ensuring that behavioral health staff are well-equipped to provide safe, high-quality patient care. This hands-on position is responsible for developing and implementing education plans, identifying learning needs, and leading new hire orientation from a clinical perspective. The Nurse Educator facilitates ongoing training programs, ensures compliance with regulatory guidelines, and fosters a culture of continuous learning. By modeling best practices and engaging staff in evidence-based education, this role directly contributes to enhancing professional competency and patient safety within the facility.

At Acadia Healthcare, we offer a comprehensive benefits package including medical, prescription drug plan, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, vision, dental, and voluntary short-term and long-term disability coverage. Additionally, our well-being programs encompass employee assistance programs, financial support, tuition reimbursement, and much more.

Responsibilities

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Facilitates orientation/onboarding program to promote employee retention.
• Conducts orientation in a manner that fosters a positive learning environment.
• Role models organizational and personal commitment to new employee success.
• Participates in designing and identifying educational activities to address practice gaps for identified target audiences, which may include licensed and non-licensed healthcare personnel.

• Identifies learning needs of staff and/or facility
• Role models competent practice through demonstration or simulation activities
• Assess practice gaps/Crosswalk competencies to practice
• Collaborates with Corporate Nursing Director /Educator to review outcomes data to evaluate and refine competency management activities
• Assist with development and/or instruction of didactic content and clinical skills for designated competencies
• Develops education plan according to gap assessment or quality data/safety outcomes
• Aligns educational programs with facility and/or organization policies and procedures

• Implement and deliver educational curricula as required by regulatory agencies such as Joint Commission, CARF, CMS and State agencies.

• Creates engaging, evidence-based educational content to meet the specific needs of the intended audience
• Demonstrates exceptional instructional skills while maintaining learner engagement

• Act a general resource for nursing staff.
• Collaborate with medical practitioners and CNO/DON to incorporate nursing processes into the plan of care for patients.
• Provide educational leadership to patients and care providers to enhance specialized patient care within established clinical protocol.

• Promotes safe, quality, and compassionate patient care

• Assist patient and caregivers with education needs, problem solution and health management across the continuum of care.
• Educate direct patient care staff in the use of equipment, supplies, and coordinates in-service training for appropriate staff.

• Supports new ideas and innovation in educational design
• Provides staff with resources and "just-in-time" education to implement immediate changes

• May serve in the role of infection preventionist for the facility with training.
• May provide direct care as needed.

OTHER FUNCTIONS:

• Provides expertise in identifying professional development needs of individual staff
• Assists staff to identify areas for individual growth in current role
• Identifies and provides opportunities for skill enhancement and mastery
• Utilizes novice to expert continuum when developing staff
• Promotes certification in areas of nursing specialty

• Perform other functions and tasks as assigned.

Qualifications

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE/SKILL REQUIREMENTS:

• Master's degree in nursing, Healthcare Administration, Education or other clinical field or equivalent combination of education and/or experience preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in nursing or commensurate experience required
• Five + years strongly preferred
• Three years of registered nurse experience required.
• Inpatient psychiatry experience as an RN strongly preferred
• Two years of behavioral health experience as an RN required.
• 1+ years experience in Clinical Education/Training and Development (Preferred)
• Certification as an NPD Practitioner and/or clinical certification as recognized by American Nurse Credentialing Center. (Preferred)

LICENSES/DESIGNATIONS/CERTIFICATIONS:

• Current state license is required for this position.
• CPR and de-escalation/restraint certification required (training available upon hire and offered by facility).
• First aid may be required based on state or facility.

ADDITIONAL REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS:

Pay Range: $95,000-120,000/Year

We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants for employment regardless of an individual's characteristics protected by applicable state, federal and local laws.