Clinical Nurse Specialists
Overview
SaveJob Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Experience
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Education
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Job Training
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Examples
These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include pharmacists, lawyers, astronomers, biologists, clergy, physician assistants, and veterinarians.
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.
Yearly Salary
| High: | $116K |
| Median: | $75K |
| Low: | $53K |
Demand
Core Tasks
- 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.
- Develop, implement, or evaluate standards of nursing practice in specialty area, such as pediatrics, acute care, and geriatrics.
- Maintain departmental policies, procedures, objectives, or infection control standards.
- Instruct nursing staff in areas such as the assessment, development, implementation, and evaluation of disability, illness, management, technology, or resources.
- Develop and maintain departmental policies, procedures, objectives, or patient care standards, based on evidence-based practice guidelines or expert opinion.
- Evaluate the quality and effectiveness of nursing practice or organizational systems.
- Observe, interview, and assess patients to identify care needs.
- Monitor or evaluate medical conditions of patients in collaboration with other health care professionals.
- Provide coaching and mentoring to other caregivers to help facilitate their professional growth and development.
- Provide direct care by performing comprehensive health assessments, developing differential diagnoses, conducting specialized tests, or prescribing medications or treatments.
- Design evaluation programs regarding the quality and effectiveness of nursing practice or organizational systems.
- Provide consultation to other health care providers in areas such as patient discharge, patient care, or clinical procedures.
- Identify training needs or conduct training sessions for nursing students or medical staff.
- Coordinate or conduct educational programs or in-service training sessions on topics such as clinical procedures.
- Make clinical recommendations to physicians, other health care providers, insurance companies, patients, or health care organizations.
- Design patient education programs that include information required to make informed health care and treatment decisions.
- Participate in clinical research projects, such as by reviewing protocols, reviewing patient records, monitoring compliance, and meeting with regulatory authorities.
- Develop or assist others in development of care and treatment plans.
- Direct or supervise nursing care staff in the provision of patient therapy.
- Develop nursing service philosophies, goals, policies, priorities, or procedures.
- Lead nursing department implementation of, or compliance with, regulatory or accreditation processes.
- Chair nursing departments or committees.
- Present clients with information required to make informed health care and treatment decisions.
- Plan, evaluate, or modify treatment programs, based on information gathered by observing and interviewing patients or by analyzing patient records.
- Teach patient education programs that include information required to make informed health care and treatment decisions.
- Write nursing orders.
- Perform discharge planning for patients.
- Prepare reports to document patients' care activities.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Medicine and Dentistry
96%
Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Education and Training
89%
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
English Language
86%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Psychology
86%
Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Biology
80%
Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Therapy and Counseling
79%
Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
Customer and Personal Service
75%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Sociology and Anthropology
75%
Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
Administration and Management
72%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Mathematics
62%
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Top 10 Skills
Speaking
83%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Learning
80%
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Critical Thinking
80%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Judgment and Decision Making
80%
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Monitoring
80%
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Reading Comprehension
80%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Service Orientation
80%
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness
80%
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Active Listening
78%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Complex Problem Solving
78%
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Top 10 Abilities
Oral Comprehension
83%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
83%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Deductive Reasoning
80%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning
80%
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Problem Sensitivity
80%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Speech Clarity
80%
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Written Comprehension
80%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression
80%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Speech Recognition
78%
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Category Flexibility
75%
The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Top 10 Work Activities
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
96%
Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Assisting and Caring for Others
95%
Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
95%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
92%
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
90%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Training and Teaching Others
90%
Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
Providing Consultation and Advice to Others
88%
Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
86%
Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Getting Information
86%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
85%
Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Detailed Work Activities
- Treat acute illnesses, infections, or injuries.
- Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
- Maintain medical or professional knowledge.
- Establish nursing policies or standards.
- Follow protocols or regulations for healthcare activities.
- Train medical providers.
- Evaluate program effectiveness.
- Evaluate effectiveness of personnel policies or practices.
- Collect medical information from patients, family members, or other medical professionals.
- Examine patients to assess general physical condition.
- Support the professional development of others.
- Monitor patient conditions during treatments, procedures, or activities.
- Evaluate patient functioning, capabilities, or health.
- Diagnose medical conditions.
- Prescribe medications.
- Develop procedures to evaluate organizational activities.
- Advise medical personnel regarding healthcare issues.
- Develop educational programs.
- Conduct research to increase knowledge about medical issues.
- Monitor medical facility activities to ensure adherence to standards or regulations.
- Develop medical treatment plans.
- Supervise patient care personnel.
- Manage healthcare operations.
- Communicate detailed medical information to patients or family members.
- Analyze patient data to determine patient needs or treatment goals.
- Teach classes in area of specialization.
- Prepare reports summarizing patient diagnostic or care activities.
Education
Interests
Social
87%
Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
Investigative
71%
Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.
Conventional
61%
Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.
Enterprising
56%
Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.
Realistic
35%
Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.
Artistic
25%
Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art.
Work Values
Support
86%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Achievement
77%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Relationships
77%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Independence
72%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Recognition
72%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Working Conditions
72%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.