San Mateo Medical Center, part of San Mateo County Health, is a public hospital and clinic system fully accredited by The Joint Commission. The Medical Center operates outpatient clinics throughout San Mateo County and an acute-care hospital in San Mateo. Our vision is that every patient will live the healthiest life possible.
As a county health department, San Mateo County Health provides public health programs and clinical and supportive services to the community, with a mission to help everyone in San Mateo County live longer and better lives.
The Department of Psychiatry is seeking a Psychiatric Nurse Educator committed to patient safety, equity, and the professional development of psychiatric nursing staff. This role supports Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES) and Adult Inpatient Psychiatric Services through education, competency support, and collaboration to promote safe, evidence-based care.
There is one full-time position supporting both Psychiatric Emergency Services and Adult Inpatient Psychiatric Services.
The successful hire in this position will:
- Coordinate and maintain nursing education and competency documentation and participate in hospital and departmental committees related to nursing practice, quality, and patient safety.
- Collaborate with Department of Psychiatry leadership and frontline staff to support quality and safety initiatives aligned with regulatory and professional standards.
- Provide direct patient care as needed while supporting staff orientation, onboarding, and education within established role boundaries.
- Apply clinical experience in psychiatric emergency and inpatient settings to support education, consultation, and safe clinical practice.
- Demonstrate strong assessment, critical thinking, technical nursing, communication, and teaching skills.
The position includes approximately 20% direct patient care and 80% indirect care focused on education, competency support, and quality activities. Time allocation may vary based on operational needs; flexibility is required.
The ideal candidate will demonstrate:
- Strong clinical judgment, assessment, and psychiatric nursing skills.
- Effective communication, collaboration, and teaching abilities.
- Experience educating or mentoring staff in formal or informal settings.
- Ability to translate regulatory requirements and best practices into practical bedside education.
- Proficiency with the electronic medical record (Epic) for reporting, auditing, and education.
- ANCC Psychiatric Nursing Certification.
- Associate Degree in Nursing with five (5) years of psychiatric nursing experience, OR
- Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing with two (2) to five (5) years of psychiatric nursing experience, OR
- Master’s Degree in Nursing with two (2) years of psychiatric nursing experience.
NOTE: The eligible list generated from this recruitment may be used to fill future extra-help, term, unclassified, and regular classified vacancies.
Examples Of Duties
Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Perform direct and indirect psychiatric nursing duties consistent with licensure, scope of practice, and operational needs.
- Support Nursing Education through orientation, onboarding, competency validation, and continuing education activities.
- Provide clinical education, consultation, and guidance to support safe, evidence-based patient care.
- Assist staff in addressing complex patient care situations using analytical and problem-solving skills, referring issues through appropriate channels.
- Assess learning and competency needs and develop education plans, procedures, and materials.
- Provide education related to nursing assessment, care planning, implementation, documentation, and evaluation.
- Collaborate with nursing management and interdisciplinary partners to support staff development and continuing education.
- Participate in staff meetings, education forums, and interdisciplinary discussions related to patient care and quality improvement.
- Maintain and analyze education, competency, and quality-related records and documentation.
- Conduct classroom and skills-based training in complex areas of psychiatric nursing, including crisis prevention and de-escalation.
- Review and summarize nursing and psychiatric research to support evidence-based practice.
- Share education and quality improvement outcomes through reports, presentations, or professional forums.
- Serve as a clinical role model and educational resource for nursing staff and interdisciplinary team members.
- Participate in departmental quality monitoring and performance improvement activities.
- Provide psychiatric nursing education support to the medical center’s clinics, medical emergency, acute care, and skilled nursing units.
- Perform related duties as assigned.
Qualifications
Licensure/Certification:
- A California license as a Registered Nurse.
- Possession and maintenance of BLS certification.
- Possession and maintenance of a Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) certificate within three months of hire.
Education and Experience:
- Associate Degree in Nursing with two years clinical experience including one year in a clinical specialty area, OR
- Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing or a health related field with one year of clinical experience including six months in a clinical specialty area, OR
- Masters degree in Nursing.
Knowledge of:
- Advanced principles and practices in specialty areas.
- Nurse Practice Act.
- Current nursing and related medical theory and skills necessary to administer nursing care within assigned clinical setting.
- Safety and infection control practices.
- Clinical systems, supplies and equipment.
- Modern principles, techniques, and procedures of nursing.
- Medical terminology.
- Use and maintenance of medical instruments and equipment.
- Use and effects of medicines.
- Public health principles.
- Health promotion and disease prevention.
- Medical research principles and practices.
- Principles of training and education.
- Lean principles and methodologies.
- Data abstraction and utilization.
- Basic statistics for reporting purposes.
- Report writing.
- Regulatory and accreditation requirements for assigned area.
Skill/Ability to:
- Provide leadership and direction to multi-disciplinary medical teams.
- Give direction to staff.
- Evaluate the work of others.
- Develop and present training and continuing education programs.
- Design, evaluate, construct and modify research models; carry out research and present findings.
- Perform the full range of nursing duties and responsibilities.
- Prepare clear and concise medical record documentation.
- Write articles for publication on areas of specialty.
- Identify problems or discrepancies and make suggestions for corrective actions.
- Teach and orient staff.
- Establish and maintain effective working relationship with patients and staff members.
- Communicate effectively.
Additional Qualifications for Restricted Positions:
Specific qualifications are required beyond those specified above for the assignments listed below.
Nurse Educator - Must have knowledge of and verifiable experience in adult education curriculum development, program evaluation, and evidence-based and best practice implementation.
TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE
Deadline to Apply: Friday, February 27, 2026 11:59 PM PST
Application Screening: March 5, 2026
Combined Panel/Departmental Interviews: March 19, 2026
Analyst: Carolyn Burns (020626) (Clinical Nurse - F011)
