GENERAL SUMMARY:
Under general supervision of the Nursing Administrator(s)/Leadership, the Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) provides leadership and clinical expertise within the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS) spheres of impact. A CNS is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse who has advanced education (at the master’s or doctorate level) to provide expert comprehensive nursing care directly to patients, support and develop registered nurses at the point of care and serve as leaders in redesigning systems to improve access, quality, and safety in a cost-effective manner. The CNS improves patient care by utilizing the best evidence and innovations in practice. The CNS functions as a leadership team member as a partner with the Nurse Manager/Director to assure competence, practice standards, orientation, and education. The CNS serves as a clinical expert providing teaching, mentoring, consulting, research, management, and systems improvement in a specific practice area or with a patient population.
PRINCIPLE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Duties and responsibilities of the CNS are based on core competencies from NACNS.
Patient Direct Care Sphere
The CNS:
1. Performs evidence-based assessment and treatment of illness including symptoms, functional problems, and risk behaviors.
2. Is educated and skilled in comprehensive assessment, differential diagnosis, and interventions to prevent or treat illness.
3. Identify and prescribe pharmacologic agents and non-pharmacologic therapies, diagnostic studies, equipment, and appropriate consults to manage the health issues of patients within the CNSs scope of practice and consistent with CNSs skill, training, competency, professional judgment, and policy of Henry Ford Health.
4. Uses advanced communication skills in complex situations and conversations that might be unpredictable while caring for patients throughout the health continuum.
5. Intervenes to educate, guide, and coach the patient in modifying risk behaviors, and emphasizing health-promoting lifestyles.
6. Leads discovery of innovations in patient care using nursing science, theory, and knowledge generated by nursing and related disciplines.
EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
• Master’s Degree in Nursing.
• Three to five (3-5) years of progressively more responsible experiences as a registered nurse in a clinical setting with expertise substantiated through education, experience, and credentials.
• Evidence of expertise in clinical knowledge, skill and judgment directly linked to specialty area of expertise.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective inter-personnel and inter-departmental relationships.
• Ability to apply the concepts of learning theory in planning and implementing educational activities.
• Excellent leadership and teaching abilities.
CERTIFICATIONS/LICENSURES REQUIRED:
• Current Michigan Registered Nurse license and Michigan Clinical Nurse Specialist license.
• Certification: Advanced Practice CNS Certification (ANCC or AACN) in respective specialty population (Adult-Gerontology, Adult, Neonatal, Pediatric) or certification by portfolio per State of Michigan.
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) required. Current Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and/or Pediatric Advance Life Support (PALS/NRP) as required specific to position.