Competency-based orientation for clinical nurse educators

The orientation process highlights entry into new roles and responsibilities. The attainment of competence in this process can be enhanced through the appropriate identification of requisite knowledge and skills and the use of creative tools to establish an organized process and documentation of progress. Clinical educators in acute care settings require an orientation program that incorporates both clinical and educational components. Formal communication between a new hire and preceptor and subsequent documentation for both administrative and peer review provide increased accountability. Therefore, a variety of strategies, often melding the clinical and teaching roles, becomes crucial to a successful orientation program.