Reprinted with permission from the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board, “A Day in the Life”

Clinical Education Coordinator: Casey Benedetto
Casey Benedetto, MSN, RN, CPN, is a Clinical Education Coordinator at a major children's hospital. She impacts patient care by supporting nurses' professional development.

What is your job title?

I am a Clinical Educator and my formal job title is Clinical Education Coordinator.

What is your favorite thing about your job?

My favorite thing about my job is having the opportunity to work with the nurses and other members of the health care team at our hospital. I know that what I do every day to support their nursing skills and the development of their careers not only benefits them, but our patients and families as well.

What is your biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge in my job is keeping up with the fast pace of health care. As a Clinical Educator, you must be up to date because you are responsible for teaching the nurses new information and skills. You also have to be able to teach information in a way that makes it both relevant and exciting to your audience.

Describe a typical month.

In an average month I am teaching in the classroom about 50% of the time. For the other 50% of the time, I am working on planning and updating the classes that I teach or working on special projects related to nursing education or nursing career development.

What do you do during your day?

I work in a classroom setting at the hospital teaching nurses and other members of the health care team. I also spend time meeting with my co-workers or other health care team members to work on special projects.

Do you have Monday through Friday 9 to 5 hours?

I have Monday through Friday 9 to 5 hours, however, since I work with clinical staff members I need to be able to adapt to their schedules. That means there are times when I am here at 7 am and times when I am here until 11 pm. The ability to be flexible is important.

How do you interact with other members of the healthcare team?

I work directly with nurses, respiratory therapists, physicians and other health care team members in the classroom. The majority of my work is directly with nurses assisting them to develop their clinical skills and careers.

How do you feel your role impacts the pediatric nursing arena on a daily basis?

I like to think my impact as a Clinical Educator in pediatrics reaches far beyond what my impact could be as an individual. Teaching the nurses and other members of the health care team the skills they need to be excellent clinicians means that your reach extends to the patients and families that they care for through your teaching.

What education or experience did you need to achieve your role?

I have a Bachelor's degree in Nursing and a Master's degree in Nursing Education. Prior to working as a Clinical Educator, I worked as a staff nurse on a pediatric surgical unit at a children's hospital. I later became the Clinical Educator for that unit, and then took my current position. In my current position I mainly work with new graduate nurses as they are beginning their careers in pediatric nursing. To become a Clinical Educator you will need a combination of the right educational preparation in school as well as clinical experience.

What advice would you give to students interested in your role?

Being a pediatric nurse is an extremely rewarding and challenging career. Working as a Clinical Educator is a very important role because your skills and attitudes influence nurses and members of the health care team throughout the hospital. If you are interested in becoming a Clinical Educator you will need the right education and a strong clinical background as well as the desire to teach and motivate others. You will need to be flexible and creative. You will also need to be comfortable with stepping away from direct patient care and knowing that what you do still has a huge impact on patients and families. Look for opportunities to be a teacher in your nursing career whether it is with patients and families or with your co-workers. You will put yourself on the right path!