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Being a Clinical Nurse Educator in the Surgical ICU
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Teamwork is critical in Mayo Clinic’s Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU). Working right alongside the team of physicians, Clinical Nurse Educators work to plan and prep for the nursing skills associated with new processes and the use of the unit’s complex equipment. Working in such a high-tech, high-touch environment is rewarding and allows you to see how the results of your work directly affect and benefit a patient.
Staff in the SICU take pride in caring for such ill patients and their families in a caring and competent way. I see the role of an SICU Clinical Nurse Educator as one of leadership. The SICU staff is made up of both seasoned and new graduate nursing staff, and the Clinical Nurse Educator’s charge is to assess the educational needs of all staff members.
Jill Henderson, Clinical Nurse Educator on 5N Surgical Services, says she really enjoys sharing information with the staff to improve their performance and their level of patient care.
“Making complex concepts or therapies understandable creates some wonderful ‘Aha!’ moments with students or staff. These moments of understanding reinforce the desire to teach. The role of Clinical Nurse Educator encompasses many ways to teach and direct learning. From Basic Life Support classes to sensitivity training, from new employee orientation to computer classes, from new procedure implementation to required Mayo education, the Clinical Nurse Educator role offers countless ways to impact nursing care at Mayo Clinic’s Florida campus. I believe this role is purposely broad and open to creative teaching methods, with the aim of making the ‘new’ seem acceptable and doable. This is a stimulating, rewarding and necessary role within the Mayo system.”
Mayo Clinic’s Florida campus is currently searching for a Master’s prepared Clinical Nurse Educator in the SICU. Please visit mayoclinic.org/jobs-jax to learn more and apply online.
Written by Anne Hudgens, Director of Clinical Nurse Education
