Clinical Nurse Specialist

Clinical Nurse Specialist

The Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) has a unique APRN role to integrate care across the continuum and through three spheres of influence: patient, nurse, system. The three spheres are overlapping and interrelated but each sphere possesses a distinctive focus. In each of the spheres of influence, the primary goal of the CNS is continuous improvement of patient outcomes and nursing care. Key elements of CNS practice are to create environments through mentoring and system changes that empower nurses to develop caring, evidence-based practices to alleviate patient distress, facilitate ethical decision-making, and respond to diversity. The CNS is responsible and accountable for diagnosis and treatment of health/illness states, disease management, health promotion, and prevention of illness and risk behaviors among individuals, families, groups and communities (APRN Joint Dialogue Group Report, July 7, 2008).

Position Description:

• Coaching Competency: Provide skillful guidance and teaching to advance the care of patients, families, groups of patients, and the profession of nursing.
• Consultation and Collaboration Competency: Demonstrate patient, staff, or system focused interaction between professionals in which the consultant is recognized as having specialized expertise and assists consultee with problem solving. Work jointly with others to optimize clinical outcomes. The CNS collaborates at an advanced level by committing to authentic engagement and constructive patient, family, system, and population-focused problem solving.
• Ethical decision-making, moral agency and advocacy: Identifying, articulating, and taking action on ethical concerns at the patient, family, health care provider, system, community, and public policy levels.
• Expert Clinical Practice Competency: Provide direct interaction with patients, families, and groups of patients to promote health or well-being and improve quality of life. Characterized by a holistic perspective in the advanced nursing management of health, illness and disease states.
• Research/EBP Competence: Actively engage in thorough and systematic inquiry. Includes the search for, interpretation, and use of evidence in clinical practice and quality improvement to address clinical problem, as well as active participation in the conduct of research.
• Systems Leadership Competency: Demonstrates ability to manage change and empower others to influence clinical practice and political processes both within and across systems.

*Must be able to perform the professional, clinical and or technical competencies of the assigned unit or department.

*Note: These statements are intended to describe the essential functions of the job and are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities. Skills and duties may vary dependent upon your department or unit. Other duties may be assigned as required.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Required:

• Master's Degree in Nursing or Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP)
• Registered Nurse in State of Kansas
• Must meet requirements for ARNP-CNS Licensure in Kansas
• Basic Life Support Certification - American Heart Association