Clinical Nurse Specialists

Career Overview

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.

Also Known As

• APN (Advanced Practice Nurse)
• CNS (Clinical Nurse Specialist)
• Critical Care CNS (Critical Care Clinical Nurse Specialist)
• Neuroscience Clinical Nurse Specialist (Neuroscience CNS)

Alternate Job Titles

• Adult Health Clinical Nurse Specialist (Adult Health CNS)
• APN (Advanced Practice Nurse)
• Board Certified Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS-BC)
• Clinical Ambulatory Nurse
• Clinical Medical Surgical Nurse
• Clinical Nurse
• Clinical Nurse Manager
• Clinical Resource Nurse
• Clinical Specialist Nurse
• CNS (Clinical Nurse Specialist)
• Community Health Clinical Nurse Specialist
• Critical Care CNS (Critical Care Clinical Nurse Specialist)
• Emergency Clinical Nurse Specialist (Emergency CNS)
• Gerontological Clinical Nurse Specialist (Gerontological CNS)
• Hospitalist NP (Hospitalist Nurse Practitioner)

What You'll Do

In this role, your typical responsibilities include:

• 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.

Emerging Responsibilities

As this field evolves, you may also:

• Develop and evaluate work processes based on evidence-based standards.

Knowledge You'll Use

You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:

• Medicine and Dentistry
• Education and Training
• Psychology
• English Language
• Biology
• Therapy and Counseling
• Customer and Personal Service
• Sociology and Anthropology
• Administration and Management

Essential Skills

Success in this career requires strong skills in:

1. Speaking
2. Reading Comprehension
3. Critical Thinking
4. Active Learning
5. Monitoring
6. Social Perceptiveness
7. Service Orientation
8. Judgment and Decision Making
9. Active Listening
10. Writing

Key Abilities

This career requires key abilities in:

• Oral Comprehension
• Oral Expression
• Problem Sensitivity
• Written Comprehension
• Inductive Reasoning
• Deductive Reasoning
• Speech Clarity
• Written Expression
• Speech Recognition
• Information Ordering

Work Style

People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:

• Attention to Detail
• Dependability
• Cooperation
• Empathy
• Cautiousness

What Matters in This Career

This career tends to satisfy these work values:

• Support
• Achievement
• Relationships
• Working Conditions
• Recognition

Education & Preparation

Typical Education: Master's Degree

Related Work Experience Needed: Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years

On-the-Job Training: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months

Education Details: Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Experience Required: 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.

Technology You'll Use

Popular Technologies & Software

• eClinicalWorks EHR software
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Word

Tools & Equipment

• Alligator forceps
• Angiocaths
• Apnea monitors
• Arterial blood gas testing equipment
• Arterial line catheters
• Automated external defibrillators AED
• Automated medicine dispensing equipment
• Autotransfusion systems
• Backboards
• Bedpans
• Bilevel positive airway pressure BiPAP ventilators
• Blood drawing syringes
• Blood glucometers
• Blood pressure monitors
• Breast pumps

Work Environment

• E-Mail
• Telephone Conversations
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team

Salary & Job Market

Wages reported for the broader Registered Nurses occupational group (BLS 2024), which includes Clinical Nurse Specialists.

Salary Percentile	Annual Wage
Entry-Level (10th percentile)	$66,030
Median	$93,600
Top Earners (90th percentile)	$135,320

Workers Employed Nationally: 3,282,010

Related Careers

If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:

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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.