What is a Clinical Nurse Specialist?

What is a Clinical Nurse Specialist?

Educators first developed the clinical nurse specialist (CNS) role because of their concern for improving nursing care. They believed that improvement was dependent upon increasing expertise at the bedside, giving direct and indirect care, and incorporating role modeling and consultation

The role of a CNS has evolved to include many specialties particularly in psychiatric care. The impressive development of this masteral program helped to initiate the other CNS specialty courses. Thus, clinical specialization in graduate education increased tremendously. Graduates would provide a high level of specialized nursing care and serve as change agents in hospital settings.

A good portion of time is spent in the hospital, in both staff and patient/family education. A clinical nurse specialist is also into developing protocols, standards and pathways that will guide nursing practice. A CNS also serves as a direct care provider, educator/consultant, researcher and leader. Areas of focus can encompass adult, pediatric and obstetric patients. Different medical departments like oncology, the cardiopulmonary system, the pulmonary system and others are also included.

What are the competencies attributed to a CNS?

• In-depth knowledge expertise
• Demonstrating clinical expertise in a selected area of clinical practice.
• Can be emulated by others professionally and personally.
• Serving as practitioner/teacher, consultant and researcher.

The past years had seen the influx of the greatest percentage of APNs as clinical nurse specialists. In order to achieve this specialization, one should prepare for a graduate nursing education program. This is primarily hospital based and can be consultative in nature.

Two Types of Nursing Graduate Education

Two Types of Nursing Graduate Education

After obtaining a baccalaureate degree in nursing, a nurse can pursue further education in any number of graduate fields, including nursing. You can receive the degree of Master of Arts (MA) in Nursing, Master in Nursing (MN) or Master of Science in Nursing (MSN).

The nursing graduate degree provides the advanced clinician with strong skills in nursing science and theory with emphasis in the basic sciences and research-based clinical practice. A master’s degree in nursing can be valuable for nurses seeking roles or nurse educator, clinical nurse specialist, nurse administrator or nurse practitioner

Professional doctoral programs in nursing (DSN or DNSc) emphasize the application of research findings to clinical nursing. Other programs emphasize more basic research and theory and award the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in nursing.

The need for nurses with doctorate degrees is rising. Expanding clinical roles, new areas of nursing such as nursing informatics and rapidly advancing technology are just a few reasons for increasing the number of doctorate-prepared nurses. It is important to continue to do research in this kind of profession.

Nursing graduate degree programs are needed to educate the beginning nurse and those seeking advanced academic and clinical preparation. Because nursing is a dynamic profession, continuing education programs help nurses remain current in nursing skills, knowledge and theory.

The goals of pursuing a graduate degree education in nursing are to improve and maintain nursing practice, promote and exercise leadership in effecting change in health care delivery systems and fulfill professional learning needs.

Your First Job as a Nurse

As a neophyte to the career, nursing students must be well oriented to the nature of their first jobs as true and professional nurses. Nursing and becoming a nurse need extensive support from the school you were into. Students must be properly guided with all the undertakings a novice nurse should encounter. Have a mindset of your own. If you don’t want to fail in your first job and get disappointment as well, consider the following factors before pursuing on to the job:

1. The nature and background of the employer and the company. Turn- over rates can indicate the efficiency of the employer to new nurses. Do not hesitate to ask about the turn-over rates of the employers. 20% or higher turnovers are significantly acceptable.
2. Orientation from the company. This will indicate how effective the company can guide you through your first years as a nurse. Preceptor programs are likewise must be observed. Preceptors are mentors for first time nurses to familiarize themselves with the hospital setting including standard procedures, use of equipments and hospital routines. He or she must be helpful in assisting you towards your first years.
3. Ask about support on adjusting to the nature of the job especially conquering emotional stress.
4. Observe on the totality of the hospital’s system. This will give you a closer look on the overall nature of the company. This will also provide you with the idea of the flow of the work.
5. Ask if you are going to be assigned in a specialty unit first. Specialty units can prepare the first time nurse to handle a broader sense of the nursing profession. Nursing and becoming a nurse must undergo a level on the intensity of tasks.
6. Ask yourself if you are really ready for the job. Nursing and becoming a nurse have to prepare you as a competitive and well- rounded nurse.

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