Clinical Nurse Specialists
- Bright Outlook
- Rapid Growth
- Numerous Job Openings
Direct nursing staff in the provision of patient care in a clinical practice setting, such as a hospital, hospice, clinic, or home. Ensure adherence to established clinical policies, protocols, regulations, and standards.
What you’d do
- Provide specialized direct and indirect care to inpatients and outpatients within a designated specialty, such as obstetrics, neurology, oncology, or neonatal care.
- Collaborate with other health care professionals and service providers to ensure optimal patient care.
- Read current literature, talk with colleagues, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in nursing.
- Develop, implement, or evaluate standards of nursing practice in specialty area, such as pediatrics, acute care, and geriatrics.
- Maintain departmental policies, procedures, objectives, or infection control standards.
- Instruct nursing staff in areas such as the assessment, development, implementation, and evaluation of disability, illness, management, technology, or resources.
- Develop and maintain departmental policies, procedures, objectives, or patient care standards, based on evidence-based practice guidelines or expert opinion.
- Evaluate the quality and effectiveness of nursing practice or organizational systems.
Skills that matter
- Speaking
- Active Learning
- Critical Thinking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
How to get there
Extensive preparation: most need graduate school, such as a master's degree or higher
Also called
- APN (Advanced Practice Nurse)
- CNS (Clinical Nurse Specialist)
- Critical Care CNS (Critical Care Clinical Nurse Specialist)
- Neuroscience Clinical Nurse Specialist (Neuroscience CNS)
- Board Certified Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS-BC)
- Emergency Clinical Nurse Specialist (Emergency CNS)
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