Nursing Professional Development Specialist

Legacy Health, a non-profit health system serving Oregon and Washington, is seeking a Nursing Professional Development Specialist to support our Healthcare & Medical Services department. In this role, you will design, implement, and evaluate nursing education programs, onboarding, and ongoing clinical competencies. You will collaborate with nursing leaders and frontline staff to enhance evidence-based practice, promote professional growth, and ensure high-quality, safe patient care. Legacy Health offers competitive salaries, comprehensive benefits, and robust professional development opportunities in a supportive, team-oriented culture focused on employee well-being.

Responsibilities

• Assess learning and competency needs of nurses and interdisciplinary team members across clinical areas.
• Design, implement, and evaluate evidence-based orientation, onboarding, and continuing education programs.
• Facilitate classroom, simulation, skills lab, and bedside education to support safe, high-quality patient care.
• Collaborate with nursing leadership and other stakeholders to align education plans with organizational goals and standards.
• Use quality, safety, and performance data to identify knowledge gaps and develop targeted educational interventions.
• Support implementation of new clinical practices, technologies, and policies, providing education and change management support.
• Mentor and coach preceptors, charge nurses, and emerging nurse leaders in their professional development.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory, accreditation, and professional practice standards related to staff education and competency.
• Contribute to shared governance, policy development, and professional practice councils as an educational resource.

Required Skills

• Clinical nursing expertise in acute or specialty care settings
• Curriculum design and adult learning principles
• Orientation and onboarding program development
• Competency assessment and validation
• Clinical education delivery (classroom, simulation, and bedside teaching)
• Data-driven quality and safety improvement
• Interdisciplinary collaboration and communication
• Regulatory and accreditation knowledge (e.g., Joint Commission standards)
• Change management and practice implementation
• Use of electronic health records and learning management systems