What is a Clinical Nurse Specialist?
Position Description Plan, direct, or coordinate the daily patient care activities in a clinical practice. Ensure adherence to established clinical policies, protocols, regulations, and standards.
Life As a Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Read current literature, talk with colleagues, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in nursing.
- Participate in clinical research projects, such as by reviewing protocols, reviewing patient records, monitoring compliance, and meeting with regulatory authorities.
- Collaborate with other health care professionals and service providers to ensure optimal patient care.
- Design patient education programs that include information required to make informed health care and treatment decisions.
- Instruct nursing staff in areas such as the assessment, development, implementation and evaluation of disability, illness, management, technology, or resources.
- Evaluate the quality and effectiveness of nursing practice or organizational systems.
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Clinical Nurse Specialist Required Skills
When polled, Clinical Nurse Specialists say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
Types of Clinical Nurse Specialist Jobs
- Clinical Nurse
- Critical Care Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Quality Management Nurse
- Cardiology Clinical Consultant
- Cardiology Clinical Nurse Specialist
Is There Going to be Demand for Clinical Nurse Specialists?
There were about 2,955,200 jobs for Clinical Nurse Specialist in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 14.8% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 438,000 new jobs for Clinical Nurse Specialist by 2026. The BLS estimates 203,700 yearly job openings in this field.
The states with the most job growth for Clinical Nurse Specialist are Arizona, Utah, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Rhode Island, Wisconsin, or Connecticut. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Do Clinical Nurse Specialists Make A Lot Of Money?
The average yearly salary of a Clinical Nurse Specialist ranges between $50,800 and $106,530.
Clinical Nurse Specialists who work in Hawaii, California, or Oregon, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Clinical Nurse Specialists in different U.S. states.
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $59,470 |
| Alaska | $89,310 |
| Arizona | $77,000 |
| Arkansas | $60,780 |
| California | $106,950 |
| Colorado | $74,240 |
| Connecticut | $81,220 |
| Delaware | $74,800 |
| District of Columbia | $92,350 |
| Florida | $66,210 |
| Georgia | $68,950 |
| Hawaii | $98,080 |
| Idaho | $67,110 |
| Illinois | $73,890 |
| Indiana | $64,860 |
| Iowa | $59,130 |
| Kansas | $61,030 |
| Kentucky | $63,100 |
| Louisiana | $63,970 |
| Maine | $67,610 |
| Maryland | $76,820 |
| Massachusetts | $92,140 |
| Michigan | $71,330 |
| Minnesota | $78,920 |
| Mississippi | $58,490 |
| Missouri | $65,130 |
| Montana | $67,450 |
| Nebraska | $64,470 |
| Nevada | $85,620 |
| New Hampshire | $72,760 |
| New Jersey | $82,750 |
| New Mexico | $71,730 |
| New York | $85,610 |
| North Carolina | $64,850 |
| North Dakota | $65,740 |
| Ohio | $66,820 |
| Oklahoma | $63,080 |
| Oregon | $91,080 |
| Pennsylvania | $70,390 |
| Rhode Island | $78,420 |
| South Carolina | $64,940 |
| South Dakota | $58,340 |
| Tennessee | $61,320 |
| Texas | $72,890 |
| Utah | $65,670 |
| Vermont | $69,160 |
| Virginia | $69,790 |
| Washington | $82,670 |
| West Virginia | $61,780 |
| Wisconsin | $71,470 |
| Wyoming | $67,360 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Clinical Nurse Specialists
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Clinical Nurse Specialists:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Web browser software
- Email software
- GE Healthcare Centricity EMR
- Bizmatics PrognoCIS EMR
- eClinicalWorks
- e-MDs software
- SOAPware EMR
- Allscripts Professional EHR
- ChartWare EMR
- NextGen Healthcare Information Systems EMR
- MicroFour PracticeStudio.NET EMR
- Cerner Millennium
- SynaMed EMR
- Texas Medical Software SpringCharts EMR
- Amkai AmkaiCharts
- StatCom Patient Flow Logistics Enterprise Suite
Becoming a Clinical Nurse Specialist
What education is needed to be a Clinical Nurse Specialist?
How Long Does it Take to Become a Clinical Nurse Specialist?
Who Employs Clinical Nurse Specialists?
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
You May Also Be Interested In…
Those thinking about becoming a Clinical Nurse Specialist might also be interested in the following careers:
References:
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