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Clinical Nurse Specialist

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AVG. SALARY

$76,920

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EDUCATION

Master's degree

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JOB OUTLOOK

Stable

What They Do

About This Career

Directs nursing staff in the provision of patient care in a clinical practice setting, such as a hospital, hospice, clinic, or home. Ensures adherence to established clinical policies, protocols, regulations, and standards.

This career is part of the Health Science cluster Therapeutic Services pathway.

A person in this career:

  • Evaluates the quality and effectiveness of nursing practice or organizational systems.
  • Collaborates with other health care professionals and service providers to ensure optimal patient care.
  • Develops and maintains departmental policies, procedures, objectives, or patient care standards, based on evidence-based practice guidelines or expert opinion.
  • Develops nursing service philosophies, goals, policies, priorities, or procedures.
  • Directs or supervises nursing care staff in the provision of patient therapy.
  • Reads current literature, talks with colleagues, or participates in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in nursing.
  • Instructs nursing staff in areas such as the assessment, development, implementation, and evaluation of disability, illness, management, technology, or resources.
  • Provides coaching and mentoring to other caregivers to help facilitate their professional growth and development.
  • Provides consultation to other health care providers in areas such as patient discharge, patient care, or clinical procedures.
  • Develops, implements, or evaluates standards of nursing practice in specialty area, such as pediatrics, acute care, and geriatrics.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

  • You would often handle loads up to 10 lbs., sometimes up to 20 lbs. You might do a lot of walking or standing, or you might sit but use your arms and legs to control machines, equipment or tools.
  • Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
  • Exposed to disease and infections more than once a month through work such as patient care, laboratory work, and sanitation control
  • Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
  • Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

  • Seeing clearly at a distance
  • Seeing clearly up close
  • Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
  • Identifying and understanding the speech of another person

Work Hours and Travel

  • Regular working hours and limited travel

Specialty and Similar Careers

Careers that are more detailed or close to this career:

  • Cardiology Clinical Nurse Specialist
  • Critical Care Clinical Nurse Specialist
  • Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist
  • Trauma ICU Clinical Nurse Specialist (Trauma Intensive Care Unit Clinical Nurse Specialist)
  • Psychiatric Adult Clinical Nurse Specialist
  • Neuroscience Clinical Nurse Specialist
  • ICU Clinical Nurse Specialist (Intensive Care Unit Clinical Nurse Specialist)
  • Emergency Clinical Nurse Specialist

Contact

  • Email Support

  • 1-800-GO-TO-XAP (1-800-468-6927)
    From outside the U.S., please call +1 (424) 750-3900

Support


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