Director Nursing Education, Informatics, Innovation, Research & Simulation

Job Description

We’re searching for an executive nursing leader with a proven record of advancing nursing excellence, clinical innovation, and professional practice across our growing complex health system. Provide enterprise-wide strategic leadership for nursing informatics, shared governance, clinical education, and simulation programs that will strengthen our workforce capability and elevate standards of care.

Champion evidence-based practice, clinical inquiry, and nursing research to accelerate professional development, support regulatory readiness, and drive continuous improvement in patient outcomes. The ideal candidate will be known for leading large-scale, system-wide initiatives that align clinical strategy with operational performance, while building a culture of accountability, innovation, and professional empowerment

Essential Functions

Strategic Vision, Program Leadership, & Performance Oversight

• Sets vision, direction, and strategic oversight for the Center for Nursing Excellence, simulation, and education programs.
• Leads the design, execution, and evaluation of clinically sound and fiscally responsible strategies in partnership with the Chief Nursing Officer and enterprise leaders across HR, IT, Innovation, and Research.
• Establishes performance standards aligned with professional benchmarks, organization priorities, and performance excellence goals.
• Positions the simulation program as an enterprise strategic asset, aligning simulation priorities with organizational risk, quality, workforce and innovation goals.
  
  

Enterprise Nursing Practice & Professional Governance

• Provides enterprise-wide leadership and advocacy for nursing professional practice, informatics, innovation, clinical education and simulation program.
• Establishes integrated governance structures, standards, and processes that promote nursing excellence, consistency, and shared accountability across the enterprise.
• Advances professional governance, strengthens nursing voice and leadership, and embeds Magnet principles into clinical professional practice.
• Integrates nursing informatics/innovation into professional practice standards, governance structures, and clinical workflows to promote consistency, evidence-based decision-making, and nursing engagement across the enterprise.
  
  

Clinical Education, Workforce Development & Academic Partnerships

• Oversees clinical education (i.e. nursing, RT, support) and workforce development strategies, including transition-to-practice, competency-based orientation, simulation, resuscitation, continuing education, and learning technologies. Ensures nursing informatics competencies are embedded across orientation, continuing education, simulation, and transition-to-practice programs, preparing the workforce to effectively use digital tools, clinical decision support, and data-driven practice models.
• Leverages simulation as a core education modality.
• Ensures compliance with accreditation and licensure standards while driving adaptive change in response to evolving care models and regulatory requirements.
• Serves as the clinical liaison to academic partners and schools of nursing, strengthening academic-practice partnerships that prepare nurses for current and emerging roles across the continuum of care.
  
  

Evidence-Based Practice, Research & Clinical Inquiry

• Leads enterprise systems and infrastructure supporting evidence-based practice, nursing research, and clinical inquiry.
• Promotes rigorous evaluation, reduces unwarranted practice variation, and translates evidence into high-quality, high-value, patient-centered care.
• Advances the visibility and reputation of nursing through dissemination, external recognition, and engagement at state, national, and international levels.
• Leverages nursing informatics, data analytics, and digital platforms, to support evidence-based practice, outcomes evaluation, research dissemination, and reduction of unwarranted practice variation. Uses simulation as a method for inquiry and translation such as pilot testing of evidence, workflows, devises, and care models.
  
  

Quality, Innovation, Financial Stewardship & Thought Leadership

• Provides director-level oversight for clinical education, nursing informatics, professional practice, and simulation, advancing quality, safety, workforce, and patient experience outcomes.
• Partners with quality and interprofessional leaders to drive system-level improvement, leverage technology and simulation to improve outcomes and efficiency, and ensure fiscally responsible budgets, resource allocation, and return on investment through effective delivery models and innovation.
  
  

Education Qualifications

• Doctoral degree is required.(DNP or PhD in nursing is preferred). Will accept a graduate degree from an accredited institution in nursing or a related field, provided the candidate holds an undergraduate degree in nursing required
• Bachelor's in nursing is required
• Proven experience in the design, implementation, and scaling of enterprise-wide nursing initiatives that advance nursing excellence and workforce readiness with programs such as: clinical education, professional practice, nursing informatics , simulation, magnet, and innovation required
  
  

Experience Qualifications

• 8 years of progressive leadership experience in nursing practice or clinical education, with demonstrated enterprise- or system-level oversight across multiple service lines, campuses, or regions, aligned with organizational priorities and Magnet standards. Required
  
  

Skills And Abilities

• Magnet Standard of Transformational Leadership (TL): Demonstrated knowledge of contemporary nursing leadership, change management, and systems thinking to lead large-scale transformation aligned with organizational mission and strategy. Ability to articulate and operationalize a compelling vision for nursing professional practice and clinical education, influence executive and interdisciplinary stakeholders, and inspire nursing leaders and staff to embrace innovation, continuous improvement, and shared accountability as a strategic nursing partner and thought leader.
• Magnet Standard of Structural Empowerment (SE): Demonstrated knowledge of professional governance and shared decision-making structures that promote nursing autonomy and accountability. Ability to design and sustain infrastructures that support workforce development, succession planning, role clarity, professional growth, education, certification, and leadership development, while fostering an inclusive, empowering professional environment that strengthens nurse engagement, recruitment, retention, and academic-practice partnerships.
• Magnet Standard of Exemplary Professional Practice (EPP): Expert knowledge of evidence-based nursing practice, interprofessional collaboration, and standards of clinical excellence to ensure outcomes-driven care aligned with professional standards and organizational goals. Ability to standardize professional practice models and integrate clinical education, competency validation, and practice standards across the continuum of care, while partnering with quality and interdisciplinary teams to advance safety, quality, and the patient and family experience.
• Magnet Standard of New Knowledge, Innovations, and Improvements (NKII): Demonstrated knowledge of nursing research methodologies, clinical inquiry, and innovation science to translate evidence into practice and evaluate impact. Ability to build and sustain infrastructures that support nursing research, evidence-based practice, and innovation, while fostering a culture of inquiry and disseminating nursing knowledge through presentations, publications, and external forums that position nurses and the organization as contributors to national and international nursing practice.
• Magnet Standard of Empirical Outcomes (EO): Demonstrated knowledge of performance measurement, outcome evaluation, and data-driven decision-making to guide nursing practice and education. Ability to analyze clinical, workforce, educational, and financial data to establish benchmarks, evaluate return on investment, monitor outcomes, and lead corrective action, ensuring sustained, measurable improvement in nursing-sensitive indicators, workforce outcomes, and patient experience in alignment with Magnet expectations.
• Magnet Program Integration: Comprehensive knowledge of Magnet standards, Sources of Evidence, and documentation requirements, with the ability to embed Magnet principles into daily practice, professional governance, education, and leadership development. Demonstrated skill in collaborating with Magnet Program leadership to ensure organizational readiness, alignment, and sustained excellence in support of Magnet designation.
  
  

Licenses and Certifications

• Registered Nurse - State Licensure and/or Compact State Licensure Upon Hire Required and
• ANCC-recognized board certification in nursing or healthcare in a clinical specialty or leadership focus within 2 years of hire Required
  
  

At Children’s, the region’s only full-service pediatric healthcare center, our people make us the very best for kids. Come cultivate your passion, purpose and professional development in an environment of excellence and inclusion, where team members are supported and deeply valued. Opportunities for career growth abound as we grow our services and spaces, including the cutting-edge Hubbard Center for Children. Join our highly engaged, caring team—and join us in providing brighter, healthier tomorrows for the children we serve.

Children's is committed to diversity and inclusion. We are an equal opportunity employer including veterans and people with disabilities.

IND123