Nursing Professional Development Specialist (Student Placement, Professional Governance, Preceptor Dev.) – CENTER - Westwood
- UCLA Health and David Geffen School of Medicine
- Los Angeles, CA, USA
Job Description
UCLA Health is seeking a Nursing Professional Development Specialist (NPDS) to lead and inspire professional growth through Student Placement, Preceptor Development, and Professional Governance. If you’re passionate about empowering clinicians through education, advancing evidence-based practice, and elevating patient care standards, this is your opportunity to make a lasting impact within one of the nation’s most respected academic health systems.
As the NPDS for Student Placement, Preceptor Development, and Professional Governance, you will:
- Champion required education, clinical training, and ongoing professional development for all nursing staff
- Design and deliver dynamic learning experiences grounded in adult learning principles
- Foster clinical excellence through competency validation, skill enhancement, and evidence-based best practices
- Partner with nursing leadership and interdisciplinary teams to align educational strategies with patient care priorities and system-wide goals
- Promote a culture of inquiry, innovation, and lifelong learning within a high-acuity, collaborative environment
This role is ideal for a skilled clinical educator with a deep understanding of student placement and professional governance and a passion for developing others through mentorship, education, and professional advancement—while upholding UCLA Health’s mission of healing humankind and its values of compassion, integrity, and excellence.
Salary (CNE4): $128,500 - $298,100 Annually
Salary (CNE3): $116,300 - $264,600 Annually
Note: This position is eligible for an annual bonus.
- BLS through AHA or ARC – Required
- Current/active CA RN – Required
- MSN in Nursing Education or Master's degree in Nursing with post certificate in Nursing Education – Required
- This position may be filled at the CNE3 level for candidates who are actively completing the educational requirements necessary to meet the minimum qualifications for the role.
- 3 years of recent acute care experience – Required
- Certified within area of specialty – Preferred
- Advanced knowledge of developing and delivering clinical nursing education and training material for orientation, class training and skills/competency learning and leadership development
- Advanced interpersonal skills to participate in the development and delivery of new education and training programs and to develop positive working relationships with nursing staff and leadership
- Advanced organizational and project management skill to lead a team, prioritize tasks, and see projects through from inception to completion on schedule
- Advanced skills in written and verbal communication to convey the most complex clinical, technical, and education and training information in a clear and concise manner to produce high quality reports, documentation, and presentations
- Advanced knowledge of a broad spectrum of professional nursing practices and issues and in-depth knowledge in a clinical nursing specialty area
- Advanced knowledge of methodology for conducting evidence-based research, data collection, analysis, and reporting
- Advanced critical thinking and problem-solving skills to manage multiple levels of information and responsibilities
A PASSION FOR ADVANCING NURSING EXCELLENCE
At UCLA Health and the David Geffen School of Nursing, you’ll be inspired and empowered to reach your fullest potential in your nursing career. Through close collaboration with other outstanding clinicians in our inclusive and engaging working environment, you can play a critical role in the delivery of our world-class care. Our Center for Nursing Excellence, state-of-the-art technology, shared governance, recognition programs, and more, will equip you to go further in your nursing practice than you thought possible. It’s no wonder we’ve achieved Magnet® status multiple times in multiple locations.
If you’re ready to live out your passion and advance your nursing career, we invite you to explore opportunities throughout our award-winning system, including:
● Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
● UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica
● Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA
● UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital
● More than 280 community-based clinics throughout Southern California
No matter where you serve with UCLA Health, the cultural, recreational, and lifestyle advantages of our Southern California locations will elevate your standard of living.