Clinical Nurse Specialists
APN (Advanced Practice Nurse), CNS (Clinical Nurse Specialist), Critical Care CNS (Critical Care Clinical Nurse Specialist), Neuroscience Clinical Nurse Specialist (Neuroscience CNS)
What they 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.
On the job, you would:
- 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.
Knowledge
Health
- medicine and dentistry
- therapy and counseling
Education and Training
- teaching and course design
Arts and Humanities
- English language
Math and Science
- psychology
Skills
Basic Skills
- talking to others
- figuring out how to use new ideas or things
Problem Solving
- noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
Social
- looking for ways to help people
- understanding people's reactions
Abilities
Verbal
- communicate by speaking
- listen and understand what people say
Ideas and Logic
- make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
- notice when problems happen
Attention
- pay attention to something without being distracted
- do two or more things at the same time
Visual Understanding
- quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things
Personality
People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking.
They do well at jobs that need:
- Initiative
- Sincerity
- Optimism
- Leadership Orientation
- Adaptability
- Perseverance
Technology
You might use software like this on the job:
Medical software
- eClinicalWorks EHR software
- GE Healthcare Centricity EMR
Presentation software
- Microsoft PowerPoint
Spreadsheet software
- Microsoft Excel
Education
Education: (rated 5 of 5)
master's degree
usually needed
usually needed
Job Outlook
Bright
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.
Explore More
- Acute Care Nurses
- Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses
- Critical Care Nurses
- Nurse Practitioners
- Registered Nurses
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See more details at O*NET OnLine about Clinical Nurse Specialists.