Clinical nurse educator: A principle-based concept analysis

BACKGROUND: Clinical nurse educators (CNEs) play an essential role in onboarding and educating staff nurses; however their role lacks clarity and recognition, in part due to a lack of conceptual clarity. PURPOSE: To report a principle-based concept analysis of the CNE. METHODS: We conducted a principle-based concept analysis using a phased qualitative approach. A librarian-assisted search of CINAHL, PsycINFO, Medline, ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health, and ProQuest Dissertations & Theses identified English-language studies published from 2014 to 2024 on CNEs in acute care hospitals. Of 4,213 records, 2,338 remained after duplicate removal. Following screening and full-text review, 52 articles were appraised and 19 highly relevant studies were included. Data were deductively coded using epistemological, pragmatic, linguistic, and logical principles and analyzed with reflexive thematic analysis. DISCUSSION: The CNE is an evolving concept marked by role ambiguity, inconsistent terminology, and blurred boundaries with other nursing roles. Despite this, CNEs are consistently associated with education, practice support, orientation, evidence-informed practice, and professional development. CONCLUSION: A clearer definition is needed to strengthen role clarity, workforce planning, research, and practice.