Clinical Nurse Specialists

Also Called: Clinical Nurse Specialist, Critical Care Clinical Nurse Specialist, Emergency Clinical Nurse Specialist, ICU Clinical Nurse Specialist (Intensive Care Unit Clinical Nurse Specialist)

What Clinical Nurse Specialists do

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.

  • Evaluate the quality and effectiveness of nursing practice or organizational systems.
  • Collaborate with other health care professionals and service providers to ensure optimal patient care.
  • Develop and maintain departmental policies, procedures, objectives, or patient care standards, based on evidence-based practice guidelines or expert opinion.
Industry Areas:

Health Care

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Work Context

  • Electronic Mail
  • Face-to-Face Discussions
  • Telephone
  • Exposed to Disease or Infections
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled

Tools

  • Floor grade forceps or hemostats
  • Medical suction or vacuum appliances
  • Tablet crushers or accessories
  • Emergency or resuscitation carts
  • Cardiac pacemaker generator or cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemaker CRT-P

Technology

Spreadsheet software
Microsoft Excel
Presentation software
Microsoft PowerPoint
Medical software
GE Healthcare Centricity EMR
StatCom Patient Flow Logistics Enterprise Suite

The Education & Training You Need

Skills

  • Active Listening
  • Critical Thinking
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Service Orientation
  • Active Learning

Knowledge

Health
medicine and dentistry
therapy and counseling
Education and Training
teaching and course design
Arts and Humanities
English language
Math and Science
biology

Education

  • 97% Master's degree
  • 3% Post-master's certificate

Experience

Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

What are your training options on the pathway to this occupation?

Are You a Good Fit?

Occupation Traits

  • Conventional (Organizer)
  • Enterprising (Persuader)
  • Social (Helper)

Work Styles

  • Integrity
  • Adaptability/Flexibility
  • Dependability
  • Leadership
  • Attention to Detail
  • Analytical Thinking

Values

  • Support
  • Relationships
  • Achievement

Abilities

  • Verbal
  • Ideas and Logic
  • Attention
  • Memory

This is what Clinical Nurse Specialists across the country typically make.

$30.64 / hour
$63,720 /year

Entry Level

$41.38 / hour
$86,070 /year

Median Level

$63.79 / hour
$132,680 /year

Experienced Level

Income information reflects a regional average.
Income information reflects a national average.

This career’s National Job Outlook is

Bright

Please be sure to verify the outlook of this occupation with your instructor.

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