Clinical Trainer (RN) at Sonida Senior Living

Sonida Senior Living is one of the nation’s leading operators of independent living, assisted living and memory care communities for senior adults. The Company operates 97 communities that are home to nearly 12,000 residents across 20 states providing comfortable, safe, affordable communities where residents can form friendships, enjoy new experiences and receive personalized care from dedicated team members who treat them family. 

Job Description: 

The Clinical Trainer is responsible for designing, implementing, and sustaining clinical education and training programs that promote excellence in resident care and regulatory compliance across a multi-state senior living organization. This role provides hands-on support, coaching, and education to clinical leaders and care teams in assisted living, memory care, and independent living communities.

The Clinical Trainer plays a key role in building clinical consistency across communities, supporting new acquisitions, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement and survey readiness. The position partners closely with Clinical Operations, Learning & Development, and Human Resources to ensure that all programs align with company standards, state regulations, and the organization’s mission to deliver exceptional, person-centered care.

Responsibilities:

Training & Education Development

• Design and deliver clinical training programs for nurses, care associates, and community leaders, focused on clinical competencies, resident care standards, and compliance.
• Assess training needs based On clinical performance data, audit findings, in community feedback to prioritize education efforts.
• Develop and update training materials, job aids, and e-learning modules that reflect best practices and current regulations.
• Lead onboarding and orientation for new clinical leaders (e.g., Health Services Directors, Resident Care Directors).
• Train and support teams on the company's clinical systems, including HER/EMAR platforms
• Support implementation of new systems, clinical programs, and policies through training and field support.
• Provide leadership development training for emerging clinical leaders to strengthen bench readiness and retention.

Field Support & Coaching

• Conduct on-site and virtual coaching sessions for community clinical teams to strengthen skills, processes, and documentation practices.
• Evaluate care delivery, documentation accuracy, and compliance with clinical protocols during community visits.
• Partner with community leadership to address deficiencies identified through surveys, audits, or performance reviews.
• Serve as a mentor and clinical resource for new or transitioning clinical leaders.
• Partner with community and regional leaders to create action plans that reinforce training and sustain improvements between visits.
• Support the standardization of best practices across all regions.

Quality & Compliance

• Ensure clinical training programs align with state regulations, company standards, and licensing requirements for each state of operation.
• Collaborate with the Clinical Compliance team to monitor survey results, identify trends, and provide targeted retraining where needed.
• Conduct mock surveys and assist communities in preparing for state inspections.
• Support infection control education, medication management training, and resident safety initiatives.
• Analyze clinical incident trends (falls, med errors, infections) and provide targeted retraining as needed.
• Assist in developing corrective action plans following state or internal audit findings.

Program Evaluation & Continuous Improvement

• Evaluate the effectiveness of training programs through observation, competency validation, and feedback.
• Track performance metrics to measure the impact of clinical training on quality outcomes and compliance.
• Provide regular updates to leadership on training outcomes, identifying opportunities to refine curriculum and improve quality indicators.
• Stay current on best practices, industry standards, and regulatory changes to ensure program relevance and accuracy.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Learning & Development to integrate clinical content into broader leadership and compliance training curricula.
• Collaborate with HR on clinical onboarding, competency tracking, and career pathway development.
• Work closely with Operations and Quality teams to align training with organizational goals and initiatives.
• Collaborate with the operational excellence team during new community transitions to ensure seamless clinical onboarding and adherence to company standards.

Qualifications:

• Registered Nurse (RN) license in good standing, multi-state licensure or compact license preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in Nursing, Healthcare Administration, or related field required; Master’s preferred.
• 7+ years of progressive clinical experience in senior living, assisted living, memory care, or skilled nursing.
• 3+ years of experience in training, clinical education, or leadership development.
• Strong knowledge of state regulations governing assisted living and memory care.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and coaching skills.
• Demonstrated ability to train and motivate adult learners.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and learning management systems (LMS).
• Willingness to travel extensively (50–70%) across assigned regions, including overnight travel.
• Certification in adult education, dementia care, or infection prevention preferred.
• Experience designing blended learning programs that combine