Director of Clinical Education & Infection Prevention in Rochester, New York at St Johns Health Care Corporation

Position Summary

The Director of Clinical Education & Infection Prevention provides leadership, strategic direction, and operational oversight for the organization’s clinical education and infection prevention programs. This position ensures nursing and clinical staff receive comprehensive, timely, and effective education that supports regulatory compliance, clinical competency, professional development, and excellent resident care.

The Director oversees Clinical Educators and Infection Prevention staff. He works collaboratively with Nursing Leadership, Employee Health, Medical Providers, Administration, and other interdisciplinary partners to promote a culture of clinical excellence, infection prevention, regulatory readiness, and continuous improvement.

In addition to leadership responsibilities, the Director maintains responsibility for selected clinical and regulatory functions, including completion of PRI/SCREEN assessments and oversight and/or provision of BLS and CPR instruction.

Core Organizational Competencies:

• St. John’s Brand Characteristics - Embraces living by being Friendly, Respectful, Responsive, Compassionate, Innovative and Fun towards patients, families and colleagues.
• Teamwork - Actively participates. Assists team members; offers encouragement. Acknowledges/welcomes patients. Keeps team members informed. Recognizes achievements and efforts of others.
• Job Knowledge - Consistently demonstrates working knowledge of all aspects of the job. Remains current on job-related changes and trends.
• Planning/Organization - Demonstrates initiative; plans appropriately. Uses time, materials, and resources effectively. Organizes work to ensure commitment and priorities.
• Productivity - Consistently maintains high activity and efficiently produces an acceptable volume of work. Consistently meets deadlines and commitments.
• Quality - Consistently produces accurate, timely work which meets required quality standards. Pays attention to detail. Sets high standards of performance for self and actively seeks continuous improvement. Provides patient-driven care.
• Reliability - Consistently delivers on commitments. Can be counted on to accomplish tasks without follow-up. Available when required by the elder or team and can be counted on to help or assist when needed. Responds promptly.
• Demeanor (attitude) - Embraces change with optimism. Addresses concerns appropriately. Positively communicates. Good listener. Consistently maintains a positive demeanor.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Clinical Education and Staff Development

• Provide leadership, direction, and oversight to Clinical Educators and the organization's clinical education program.
• Develop, implement, evaluate, and continuously improve clinical education programs for nursing and other applicable clinical staff.
• Ensure required clinical education is provided in accordance with applicable New York State Department of Health requirements, organizational policies, standards of practice, and resident-care expectations.
• Establish annual and ongoing education plans based on regulatory requirements, identified clinical needs, quality outcomes, competency assessments, survey findings, and changes in clinical practice.
• Ensure orientation, annual education, competency validation, and other required clinical training are completed and appropriately documented.
• Partner with the Director of Nursing and nursing leadership to identify educational opportunities based on resident outcomes, clinical trends, changes in acuity, quality indicators, and staff performance needs.
• Promote evidence-based clinical practice and provide education designed to strengthen clinical judgment competency, accountability, and resident-centered care.
• Maintain systems for monitoring completion of required clinical education and competencies and address identified gaps promptly.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of clinical education programs and recommend improvements based upon outcomes and organizational needs.

Infection Prevention and Control

• Provide leadership and oversight to Infection Prevention staff and the organization's infection prevention and control program.
• Ensure infection prevention policies, practices, education, surveillance, and reporting activities comply with applicable regulatory requirements and organizational standards.
• Monitor infection trends and collaborate with clinical leadership to identify opportunities for prevention, intervention, and improvement.
• Provide oversight of infection surveillance, investigation, documentation, reporting, and follow-up activities.
• Collaborate closely with the Director of Nursing, Employee Health, Medical Providers, Administration, and other departments regarding infection prevention concerns and initiatives.
• Support preparedness and response efforts related to communicable diseases, outbreaks, employee exposure, and other infection-control concerns.
• Ensure staff receive required infection prevention education, including appropriate practices related to standard and transmission-based precautions, hand hygiene, personal protective equipment, and other infection-control protocols.
• Participate in quality assurance and performance improvement activities involving infection prevention, clinical outcomes, and resident safety.
• Assist with regulatory surveys, audits, plans of correction, and other compliance activities related to infection prevention.

Regulatory Compliance and Clinical Quality

• Maintain awareness of applicable New York State Department of Health and other regulatory requirements affecting clinical education and infection prevention.
• Ensure programs, documentation, policies, and educational activities remain survey ready.
• Participate in regulatory surveys and assist with responses, corrective action plans, and education resulting from identified deficiencies or areas of concern.
• Work collaboratively with Nursing Leadership and Administration to translate regulatory changes, survey findings, quality indicators, and clinical trends into education and process improvements.
• Support organizational quality improvement initiatives focused on resident safety, clinical outcomes, infection prevention, and staff competency.

PRI/SCREEN Responsibilities

• Complete PRI/SCREEN assessments as assigned and ensure timely, accurate, and compliant completion.
• Maintain required qualifications and competency to perform PRI/SCREEN assessments.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary team members as necessary to obtain accurate clinical and functional information for assessments.
• Maintain required documentation and records related to PRI/SCREEN completion.

BLS and CPR Education

• Provide and/or coordinate BLS and CPR instruction for employees in accordance with organizational requirements and the standards of the organization's approved training program.
• Maintain current instructor credentials required to provide BLS/CPR instruction.
• Ensure training records, certifications, and renewals are accurately maintained and monitored.
• Coordinate training schedules to support timely certification and recertification of applicable staff.

Leadership and Staff Oversight

• Provide direct leadership and supervision to Clinical Educators and Infection Prevention staff.
• Establish clear performance expectations, goals, priorities, and accountability for team members.
• Recruit, orient, coach, develop, and evaluate assigned staff.
• Promote collaboration between Clinical Education, Infection Prevention, Nursing Leadership, Employee Health, Medical Providers, and Administration.
• Facilitate regular communication and meetings with clinical education and infection prevention staff.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, consistency, and coordination across clinical education and infection prevention functions.
• Serve as a clinical resource to leadership and staff regarding education, competency, infection prevention, and regulatory requirements.

Required Qualifications

Current and unrestricted Registered Professional Nurse (RN) license in New York State.

• Bachelor's degree in nursing preferred; equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience may be considered, depending on organizational requirements.
• Demonstrated experience developing, implementing, managing, and/or providing leadership oversight of clinical education programs.
• Prior leadership or supervisory experience required.
• Demonstrated experience in infection prevention and control within a healthcare environment.
• Strong knowledge of clinical education, nursing competencies, infection prevention principles, regulatory compliance, and quality improvement.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret regulatory requirements and translate them into effective policies, educational programs, competencies, and operational practices.
• Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with nursing leadership, physicians and other medical providers, Employee Health, Administration, and interdisciplinary teams. Ability to manage multiple priorities in a highly regulated healthcare environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a skilled nursing, long-term care, post-acute care, or senior care environment strongly preferred.
• Bachelor's or master's degree in nursing, Education, Infection Prevention, or a related field preferred.
• Certification in Infection Control and Prevention (CIC) preferred.
• Prior experience with state or federal healthcare surveys and regulatory compliance activities preferred.
• Experience completing PRI/SCREEN assessments preferred.
• Current BLS/CPR Instructor certification preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong clinical nursing knowledge and judgment.
• Expertise in adult learning and clinical education.
• Knowledge of infection prevention practices and surveillance.
• Knowledge of healthcare regulatory and survey requirements.
• Strong leadership and staff-development capabilities.
• Ability to analyze clinical trends and identify appropriate educational or infection-prevention interventions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• High level of organization, attention to detail, and follow-through.
• Ability to provide education and clinical guidance in a professional, supportive, and accountable manner.
• Commitment to resident-centered care, resident safety, and continuous quality improvement.