FAQs

What is a Clinical Nurse Specialist?

• Clinical Nurse Specialists ( CNS ) are licensed registered nurses who have graduate preparation (Master’s or Doctorate) in nursing as a Clinical Nurse Specialist.
• Clinical Nurse Specialists are expert clinicians in a specialized area of nursing practice. The specialty may be identified in terms of:
  • A Population (e.g. pediatrics, geriatrics, women’s health)
  • A Setting (e.g. critical care, emergency room)
  • A Disease or Medical Subspecialty (e.g. diabetes, oncology)
  • A Type of Care (e.g. psychiatric, rehabilitation)
  • A Type of Problem (e.g. pain, wounds, stress)
• Clinical Nurse Specialists practice in a wide variety of health care settings.
• In addition to providing direct patient care, Clinical Nurse Specialists influence care outcomes by providing expert consultation for nursing staffs and by implementing improvements in health care delivery systems.
• Clinical Nurse Specialist practice integrates nursing practice, which focuses on assisting patients in the prevention or resolution of illness, with medical diagnosis and treatment of disease, injury and disability.
• Research about Clinical Nurse Specialist practice demonstrates
  outcomes such as:
  • Reduced Hospital Costs and Length of Stay
  • Reduced Frequency of Emergency Room Visits
  • Improved Pain Management Practices
  • Increased Patient Satisfaction with Nursing Care
  • Reduced Medical Complications in Hospitalized Patients

An estimated 69,017 RNs have the education and credentials to practice as a clinical nurse specialist ( CNS ). Approximately 14,643 are qualified to work as a nurse practitioner and a CNS .

In general, CNS salaries range from $65,000 to over $110,000 annually depending on region of the country and practice specialty.

What is NACNS?

By bringing together CNSs of all specialty practice areas, NACNS

• Creates a unified voice and promotes the CNS role through advocacy, networking, problem solving, political strategizing, and mutual support.
• Works to refine clinical competencies, standardize educational preparation, navigate the maze of certification issues, and remove regulatory and statutory barriers to practice.
• Annually, NACNS conducts a survey to collect CNS specific data that supports NACNS as the voice for CNSs across the country.

What are the requirements to practice as a CNS in my state?

State laws and administrative rules issued by state licensing boards vary among states. Consult your state licensing board. NCSBN Information - APN

What certification is available for a CNS ?

Currently CNSs can obtain certification by examination in some specialties. For many specialty areas there is no certification exam available.

The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) offers the new CNS-BC credential to individuals who successfully complete clinical nurse specialist exams in:

• Adult Health
• Adult Psychiatric & Mental Health 
• Child/Adolescent Psychiatric & Mental Health
• Gerontology
• Home Health Nursing 
• Pediatrics
• Public/Community Health Nursing

The Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation offers the Oncology CNS certification; http://www.oncc.org/

The American Association of Critical Care Nurses Certification Corporation offers the Critical Care Nurse Specialist (CCNS) certification. http://www.certcorp.org/

The Orthopaedic Nurses Certification Board offers several CNS certification exams throughout the year. Please check http://www.oncb.org for
more information.

What is a typical role description/job description for a CNS ?

CNS practice occurs in settings across the health care delivery continuum. Many CNSs base their job descriptions on the description of CNS practice available in the NACNS Statement on CNS Practice and Education (1998), adapted to the particular facility or setting where they practice.

Order the Statement