What does a clinical education specialist do?
A clinical education specialist is an individual who designs and administers continuing education programs for healthcare personnel to help them improve the delivery of patient care. Clinical education specialists are required to assess healthcare facilities to determine what type of education is needed and then design courses that will provide personnel with proper training and education. They must apply creative and innovative strategies in problem-solving to achieve the desired goals of the facility. Clinical education specialists must also maintain productive working relationships through mentoring and positive communication.
Clinical education specialist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real clinical education specialist resumes:
- Provide case management with physicians recommendations and assistance navigating insurance such as Medicare, Medicaid and manage care.
- Educate patients regarding the different type of pumps, infusion sets, and self-administration of medications.
- Provide one-on-one supervision and crisis intervention-acting as an advocate and liaison for patients and their case managers.
- Support guide wire and balloon dilatation catheter projects, requiring similar activities associate with development of stent delivery systems.
- Act as liaison between radiology and other departments relate to medical imaging and procedures.
- Serve as an active member on the system documentation committee redesigning the documentation system to include rehabilitation specific information.
- Unmatch clinical skills in emergency room, nursing administration, geriatric population care, orthopedic, medical-surgical and a nurse educator.
Clinical education specialist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 14% of Clinical Education Specialists are proficient in Clinical Education, Patients, and Patient Care. They’re also known for soft skills such as Compassion, Detail oriented, and Emotional stability.
We break down the percentage of Clinical Education Specialists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Clinical Education, 14%
Provided didactic and clinical education support for nurses and resident physicians.
- Patients, 10%
Registered incoming patients, electronically inputted patient data, conducted routine F-PACT insurance enrollments and handled patient inquiries.
- Patient Care, 10%
Developed and implemented effective methods of identifying Patient Care Services staff needs and addressing through education.
- Professional Development, 6%
Support clinical and professional development and continuing education with a goal of achieving excellence in the delivery of evidence-based nursing practice.
- BLS, 5%
Conducted ACLS and BLS certification classes.
- Patient Outcomes, 4%
Consult with hospital leaders and stake holders to promote excellent patient outcomes and maintain compliance and core goals.
Common skills that a clinical education specialist uses to do their job include "clinical education," "patients," and "patient care." You can find details on the most important clinical education specialist responsibilities below.
Compassion. The most essential soft skill for a clinical education specialist to carry out their responsibilities is compassion. This skill is important for the role because "registered nurses should be caring and empathetic when working with patients." Additionally, a clinical education specialist resume shows how their duties depend on compassion: "have received numerous patient and peer compliments for outstanding leadership and caring, compassionate care delivered to patients. "
Detail oriented. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling clinical education specialist duties is detail oriented. The role rewards competence in this skill because "registered nurses must be precise because they must ensure that patients get the correct treatments and medicines at the right time." According to a clinical education specialist resume, here's how clinical education specialists can utilize detail oriented in their job responsibilities: "utilized powerpoint to present office-based educational sessions detailing the benefits of the nurse educator program to physician practices. "
Emotional stability. This is an important skill for clinical education specialists to perform their duties. For an example of how clinical education specialist responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "registered nurses need emotional resilience and the ability to cope with human suffering, emergencies, and other stressors." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a clinical education specialist: "provide moral & emotional support for patients diagnosed with hepatitis c & provide them with additional resources. ".
Organizational skills. For certain clinical education specialist responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "organizational skills." The day-to-day duties of a clinical education specialist rely on this skill, as "nurses often work with multiple patients who have a variety of health needs." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what clinical education specialists do: "develop and implement policies and procedures on organizational level troubleshoot all issues with epic application. "
Physical stamina. Another common skill required for clinical education specialist responsibilities is "physical stamina." This skill comes up in the duties of clinical education specialists all the time, as "nurses should be comfortable performing physical tasks, such as lifting patients." An excerpt from a real clinical education specialist resume shows how this skill is central to what a clinical education specialist does: "completed a 5 week clinical educational experience under a doctor of physical therapy at a family owned outpatient physical therapy clinic. "
Communication skills. Another skill commonly found on clinical education specialist job descriptions is "communication skills." It can come up quite often in clinical education specialist duties, since "registered nurses must be able to communicate effectively with patients in order to understand their concerns and evaluate their health conditions." Here's an example from a resume of how this skill fits into day-to-day clinical education specialist responsibilities: "develop and maintain positive customer relationships through effective communication. "
The three companies that hire the most clinical education specialists are:
- Abbott11 clinical education specialists jobs
- Applied Medical Resources10 clinical education specialists jobs
- Res-Care Premier8 clinical education specialists jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable clinical education specialist resume templates
Build a professional clinical education specialist resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your clinical education specialist resume.Compare different clinical education specialists
Clinical education specialist vs. Nurse
Nurses are medical professionals assigned to a specific department in the hospital and provide their trusted department services. Nurses are in charge of taking patients' medical histories, getting vital signs, preparing patients for checkups or procedures, explaining upcoming practices, answering any questions, and communicating any concerns to the assigned doctor. Nurses should ensure that patients follow the medical advice given to them. They also assist patients in completing administrative requirements, such as filling out forms, validating details, and endorsing payments.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between clinical education specialists and nurse. For instance, clinical education specialist responsibilities require skills such as "clinical education," "professional development," "patient outcomes," and "clinical practice." Whereas a nurse is skilled in "acute care," "quality care," "discharge planning," and "emergency situations." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Nurses tend to make the most money working in the government industry, where they earn an average salary of $63,263. In contrast, clinical education specialists make the biggest average salary, $79,234, in the finance industry.The education levels that nurses earn slightly differ from clinical education specialists. In particular, nurses are 15.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a clinical education specialist. Additionally, they're 1.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Clinical education specialist vs. Registered nurse case manager
A registered nurse is responsible for providing medical services to patients, assisting doctors in hospitals, clinics, and other health centers. Registered nurses' duties include monitoring the condition of admitted patients, operating medical equipment, responding to patients' inquiries, assisting on physical exams and medications, keeping medical records, and observing strict hygienic standards. A registered nurse must display strong communication and organizational skills, as well as the ability to multi-task, attend to patients' needs, and adjust to different conditions.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that clinical education specialist responsibilities requires skills like "clinical education," "professional development," "bls," and "patient outcomes." But a registered nurse case manager might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "discharge planning," "rehabilitation," "care coordination," and "quality care."
Registered nurse case managers may earn a lower salary than clinical education specialists, but registered nurse case managers earn the most pay in the pharmaceutical industry with an average salary of $72,809. On the other hand, clinical education specialists receive higher pay in the finance industry, where they earn an average salary of $79,234.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Registered nurse case managers tend to reach lower levels of education than clinical education specialists. In fact, they're 17.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Clinical education specialist vs. Registered nurse charge nurse
A registered charge nurse is responsible for supervising nurses' workflow in a particular department or area, ensuring every patient gets the proper care that they need. A registered charge nurse has the discretion to direct tasks, arrange schedules, and monitor patients, such as in the aspects of admission and discharge. Furthermore, a registered charge nurse must maintain an active line of communication and coordination among nurses, physicians, and other personnel involved as the conditions in a hospital can be unpredictable.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from clinical education specialist resumes include skills like "clinical education," "professional development," "patient outcomes," and "clinical practice," whereas a registered nurse charge nurse is more likely to list skills in "direct patient care," "rehabilitation," "resident care," and "acute care. "
Registered nurses charge nurses earn the highest salary when working in the health care industry, where they receive an average salary of $68,929. Comparatively, clinical education specialists have the highest earning potential in the finance industry, with an average salary of $79,234.registered nurses charge nurses typically earn lower educational levels compared to clinical education specialists. Specifically, they're 17.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Clinical education specialist vs. Registered nurse supervisor
A Registered Nurse Supervisor oversees a team of registered nurses in a hospital or clinic, making sure that all operations are efficient and up to standard. Moreover, they are responsible for the daily management of nurses, such as when it comes to evaluation, development, and assigning schedules and patients. Aside from supervising and ensuring that everything is running smoothly in their field, they also have to communicate and coordinate with physicians and even families of patients. The responsibilities of a Nurse Supervisor is challenging; this is why they must be proactive and excellent at communication.
Types of clinical education specialist
Updated January 8, 2025











