Whats A Clinical Nurse Versus Registered Nurse?

What Is a Clinical Nurse Specialist?

A clinical nurse specialist (CNS) is a graduate-level registered nurse who is certified in a specialty of choice. Obtaining specialty certification demonstrates an avant-garde level of noesis as well equally advanced clinical skills in a niche area of nursing.

There are differences betwixt a nurse practitioner (NP) and CNS. While both are avant-garde-practice registered nurses, their roles are different.

Nurse Practitioners:

Take comprehensive health histories
Diagnose, care for, and manage chronic and acute illnesses
Often human activity a main care provider
Prescribe medications

Clinical nurse specialists have a different scope of practice. They tin prescribe medications if they apply for dominance to do and then, but this is non ever required in their practice. They unremarkably focus on education, inquiry, and consulting.

Why Are Clinical Nurse Specialists And then Of import?

Clinical nurse specialists are leaders in the field of nursing. They serve as mentors, educators, and advocates. They demonstrate expertise in their specialty surface area and maintain strong clinical skills.

As leaders, they can also promote and facilitate change. They employ show-based practise to brainwash other nurses and to assist in developing toll-saving strategies in the commitment of care. They can also bring their observations and experience in patient care and apply it to enquiry, policies, and to improve practices.

How to Become a Clinical Nurse Specialist

Nurses looking to accelerate to a CNS should value evidence-based practice. This means adhering to practices that have been proven effective through clinical inquiry. Since research and therefore practice is always changing, nurses interested in a CNS office should be flexible and willing to facilitate and accept change.

Nurses should also be interested in education, as educating other nurses on best practices and current research is a significant component of what they practice.

Nurses should be able to work well in groups and utilize a team approach to healthcare. A big function of the CNS role is to collaborate with all members of the healthcare squad. Constructive communication is essential.

Leadership skills are also a must with CNSs. They serve as mentors to nurses and bring their cognition of bedside nursing to organizational leadership to improve clinical do.

What Are the Educational Requirements for a Clinical Nurse Specialist?

Clinical nurse specialists are advanced-exercise registered nurses who accept completed a master's plan in nursing (MSN) or doctoral degree plan (DNP). A DNP is necessary for those who wish to focus on enquiry.

To accelerate to a master's caste or doctoral in nursing, a student must complete an accredited nursing program and obtain a available'southward degree in nursing (BSN). Students should be certain the schoolhouse is accredited past the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Didactics (CCNE) or the Accreditation Committee for Education in Nursing (ACEN).

Successful completion of the NCLEX-RN is needed for licensure. The length of time it takes to obtain an MSN depends on the nurse's starting betoken:

Nursing students enrolled in a BSN plan complete in near four years
RN to BSN takes about 2 years
BSN to MSN takes virtually two years
BSN to DNP takes three to four years
MSN to DNP takes one to ii years

Additionally, both online programs and classroom programs are available to accommodate students. Both types have pros and cons depending on students' needs, therefore researching private schools is encouraged.

Notice a clinical nurse specialist program.

Schools may offer CNS tracks in:

Developed health
Adult gerontology
Acute care
Pediatrics
Psychiatric/mental wellness
Women's health
Customs care/health

Full general avant-garde-do courses include concepts such as:

Health promotion and maintenance
Advanced pathophysiology
Avant-garde health cess
Pharmacology for avant-garde practice nurses

The cadre curriculum for clinical nurse specialists include courses on:

Theory and ethics
Awarding of inquiry to practise
Context of health intendance for advanced-practice nursing
Statistics in nursing research

Are Any Certifications or Credentials Required?

Upon completion of the MSN or DNP programme, clinical nurse specialists can obtain additional certification(south) in the specialty of choice. The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) offers certification in the following areas:

Adult wellness
Adult-gerontology
Adult psychiatric-mental health
Child/boyish psychiatric mental health
Pediatrics

Basic requirements for certification are:

Current RN license
MSN, Postgraduate, or Doctoral degree
Graduate program must include 3 divide courses in
- Advanced concrete/health cess
- Avant-garde Pharmacology
- Advanced pathophysiology
Worked a minimum of 500 supervised, clinical hours in the CNS role and population of option

Additional requirements are needed for certification in adult gerontology, pediatric, and mental health specialties. Certification is obtained past exam and is valid for 5 years.

Other certifications are available as well and may meet state board requirements. For example, the American Clan of Critical-Intendance Nurses (AACN) offers certification for developed, pediatric, and neonatal acute care CNSs, and meets the standards for the California BRN. Nurses are encouraged to review the requirements outlined in their state board of registered nursing.

Although BRN requirements can vary from state to country, CNSs must consummate the following for licensure:

Submit verification of completion of a graduate degree program
Submit transcripts of the completed graduate degree programme
Provide verification of certification from an organization/ association (such as the ANCC)

Clinical Nurse Specialist FAQs

What Types of Medical Professionals Exercise Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) Collaborate with or Piece of work Alongside?

A CNS tin can work with a variety of professionals, and it depends on where they piece of work. In the hospital setting, for case, a CNS can interact with those involved with direct patient intendance such as:

Nurse assistants
Technicians
Physicians
Nurses
Respiratory therapists
Physical Therapists

However, every bit master'south or doctorally-prepared specialists, they can as well work aslope administrative staff such every bit:

Managers (clinical and non-clinical)
Supervisors
Administrators
Department Secretaries
Directors
Researchers

The dazzler of a CNS role is that it is multi-faceted. They straddle both the patient care and administrative role. In this liaison-type office, they can assemble information from the front lines of patient care and use it to develop ways to ameliorate healthcare commitment.

What Does a Clinical Nurse Specialist Practice?

Clinical nurse specialists take many roles in the healthcare field. They are responsible for:

Ordering medical tests/treatment
Examining patients and diagnose illnesses
Treating disease unique to their specialty
Promoting wellness
Conducting research in their area of specialty
Assisting in creating, upholding, and revising policies and procedures as well as standards of care using current testify-based research
Provide clinical expertise in diverse clinical areas
Gather data from medical records and patients to improve care and health care services
Collaborate with the interdisciplinary health care team to create, review, and revise treatment plans
Brainwash and mentor nurses
Designing evaluation tools to appraise the quality of different patient care and education programs
Human activity equally a supervisor or director to nursing and ancillary staff

Clinical Nurse Specialist Concentration Areas

Clinical nurse specialists can choose from a wide variety of specialties. Specialty areas tin exist based on:

Population, such equally:
- Pediatrics
- Adult health
- Neonatal
- Women'due south Health
- Elderliness
The setting, such as:
- Emergency room
- Critical care
- Medical/Surgical Units
- Abode health
- Health centers
Disease/Subspecialty, such as:
- Diabetes
- Oncology
- Infectious disease
- Orthopedics
- Neurology
Type of care, such as:
- Psychiatry
- Public wellness
- Rehabilitation
Blazon of health trouble, such every bit:
- Pain
- Wounds
- Stress/feet

These v specialty areas may overlap as well. For example, a CNS could work in pediatric neurology, or a public wellness CNS can specialize in HIV/ infectious disease.

Clinical Nurse Specialist Working Atmospheric condition

Clinical nurse specialists tin work in the post-obit areas:

Hospitals
Outpatient (clinic) settings
Physician offices
Pupil health Centers
Community health centers
Home health agencies
Mental wellness facilities

Clinical nurse specialists unremarkably work regular business hours. However, the collaboration between physicians and medical staff may require occasional weekend, evening, and vacation shifts—peculiarly considering near CNSs piece of work in the hospital setting.

CNSs ofttimes piece of work in direct patient care, simply some work in administrative, consulting, research, and supervisory positions where direct patient care is not required.

Clinical nurse specialists may work in loftier-risk areas that may expose them to workplace violence, claret borne pathogens, and chemicals. However, not all work areas are risky, such as research and education. Regardless of the chosen piece of work expanse, workplace safety training is mandatory and ongoing, and about organizations strive to protect the safety of its workers.

Clinical Nurse Specialist Employment Outlook & Salary

Clinical nurse specialists have a unique part. They apply their expertise non but to directly patient intendance but to research and practice improvement projects. They strive to advocate for high-quality care to achieve the best outcomes for patients.

While the Agency of Labor Statistics does non accept statistics specifically for CNSs, the growth for advanced-practice RNs, in general, is expected to rise 31% by the year 2024. This increase is believed to be due to an increment in the need for healthcare, emphasis on preventive care, and a large population of aging patients.

According to a survey by the U.Southward. Department of Health and Human Services, there were 59,242 CNSs in the Us, the 2d largest group of advanced-practise RNs. Additionally, over ninety% of CNSs study feeling moderately-to extremely satisfied in their job.

For organizations to remain sustainable during potentially turbulent political times, they can utilize clinical nurse specialists to assist maintain the frail balance of cut-edge, quality care and price efficiency. This results in CNSs becoming a highly sought-afterward resource for employers.

According to salary.com, the median salary of clinical nurse specialists is $99,550 as of June 2017, with a range of $89,999-$109,045. Bacon can vary depending on the city/country of employment, boosted certifications held, experience level, and the organization.

Helpful Organizations, Societies, & Agencies

National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
Clinical Nurse Specialist: The International Journal for Advanced Nursing Exercise