What are the responsibilities and job description for the Nurse Educator Clinical Laboratory - University Hospital, (1259) position at TriCore Reference Laboratories and Careers?
Schedule: Monday-Friday 0800-1700 and other shifts as needed.
Location: University Hospital
JOB SUMMARY:
The Nurse Educator for Clinical Laboratory Processes is responsible for developing, implementing, and evaluating educational programs that bridge the gap between clinical nursing practice and laboratory operations. This role ensures nursing staff understand and adhere to laboratory-related protocols, including specimen collection, labeling, transport, and result interpretation to support safe, efficient patient care. The educator also partners with laboratory leadership to improve cross-disciplinary collaboration, quality outcomes, and compliance with regulatory standards.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
- Educational Program Development
o Design and deliver evidence-based training programs on laboratory specimen collection and delivery, labeling standards, point-of-care testing (POCT), transfusion medicine practices, and anatomic/surgical pathology practices.
o Collaborate with clinical and laboratory teams to standardize best practices for lab-related workflows in nursing units and clinics to include but not limited to order management, specimen collection and specimen labeling.
o Design onboarding and competency validation for new nursing staff specific to laboratory processes.
o When appropriate, coordinate policy and procedure updates in TriCore and hospital document control system.
o Participate in new employee orientation training for Division as requested.
- Process Improvement & Clinical Integration
o Conduct gap analyses to identify knowledge or compliance issues related to lab procedures across care teams. Review hospital system non-conforming events and TriCore exceptions to determine areas of opportunity.
o Lead educational initiatives to reduce specimen rejection rates, and improve turnaround times.
o Participate in quality assurance projects tied to lab and nursing collaboration, i.e., specimen identification, processing, and stabilization.
- Quality, Compliance & Safety
o Ensure training aligns with regulatory standards (e.g., CLIA, CAP, The Joint Commission) and institutional policies.
o Educate staff on the impact of pre-analytical errors and mitigation strategies.
o Support POCT education, competency, and audit readiness in coordination with the POCT or Lab Manager.
o Participate in quality assurance processes including root cause analysis and non-conforming event investigations.
- Collaboration & Communication
o Act as a liaison between nursing units, clinics and laboratory departments to foster mutual understanding and operational alignment.
o Attend interdisciplinary meetings to represent nursing education needs in lab-related topics.
o Provide real-time coaching during audits, investigations, or workflow changes.
- Transfusion Services Focus
o Collaborate with nursing leadership on a training program to better identify transfusion reactions.
o Educate on proper specimen identification for type and screen/crossmatch to prevent WBIT (Wrong Blood In Tube) events.
o Reduce blood product wastage through establishing training which supports nursing adherence to blood product storage, transport, verification, and infusion timelines.
o Assist in mock codes, emergency release protocols, and massive transfusion protocol (MTP) training.
MINIMUM EDUCATION:
- Registered Nurse (RN) licensed in New Mexico
- Bachelor’s/associate’s degree in nursing
MINIMUM EXPERIENCE:
- Three (3) years of acute care clinical experience including performance of point of care testing and laboratory specimen collection.
- Experience in clinical education or staff development
PREFERENCES:
- Certification in Nursing Professional Development (NPD-BC) or similar credential
IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS:
Prove immunity to Hepatitis B or be immunized or sign a waiver refusing hepatitis immunization. Provide documentation of a PPD test conducted not more than 90 days prior to date of hire or have a PPD test conducted.
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills to influence cross-functional teams
- Analytical skills for performance data review and process improvement
- Adaptability and innovation in teaching methods (classroom, virtual, simulation)
- Proficiency in adult learning principles and education theory
- Strong understanding of clinical laboratory operations or demonstrated experience in lab-related nursing workflows
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
- Standard hospital or clinic setting (not remote)
- May require flexible hours to accommodate multiple shifts
- Up to 50% travel between locations if supporting a health system