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The Clinical Nurse Specialist is an advanced clinician holding a master's degree who functions as an expert clinician, leader, researcher, case manager, and consultant. The clinical nurse specialist acquires knowledge and experience to provide services to adults across the lifespan in health promotion, disease prevention, and management of common acute and/or chronic illnesses. The clinical nurse specialist works in a variety of clinical settings that include acute care hospitals, long term care facilities, and physician offices. There are a total of 39 credit hours in the specialty with 525 clinical hours. 

The clinical nurse specialist graduate is prepared to:

1. Initiates expert outcome-oriented nursing therapeutics for adult patients.
2. Manage the integration and coordination of patient care services across the health care continuum.
3. Design and implement patient and staff education programs for promotion of positive health care outcomes.
4. Consult and collaborate with members of the health care team to support the delivery of quality patient care.
5. Utilize research methodology and findings to investigate, promote, and evaluate nursing therapies that produce positive patient care outcomes.
6. Model responsibility for continued professional development, integrity, accountability, competence, and credentialing as an acute care nurse practitioner.

Clinical Learning Requirements
Graduate nursing clinical practice requirements may be completed in the student's own community. The student is responsible for identifying preceptors and clinical sites in their own community. Approval of selected preceptors and clinical sites must be obtained from faculty prior to beginning clinical hours. Students may be required to visit campus in order to demonstrate clinical competency. Faculty will also validate clinical competency through site visits and/or conference calls with preceptors and students. A written agreement with the agency is required prior to initiation of clinical experience.
 

MSN - Curriculum Clinical Nurse Specialist Nursing Core Courses
N612 Advanced Nursing Research	3 credits
N613 Theoretical Basis for Advanced Practice Nursing	3 credits
N614 Advanced Practice Nursing and Health Care Issues	3 credits
N615 Advanced Nursing Research II	3 credits
N616 Management of the Client in the Health Care System	3 credits
	15 credits
Clinical Core Courses
N617 Advanced Concepts of Pathophysiology	3 credits
N618 Advanced Health Assessment	3 credits
N622 Clinical Pharmacology	3 credits
	9 credits
Clinical Nurse Specialist Courses
N645 Advanced Nursing Assessment & Intervention I	6 credits
N646 Advanced Nursing Assessment & Intervention II	6 credits
N647 Advanced Nursing Assessment & Intervention III	3 credits
	15 credits

Course Descriptions

Study Plan/Advising Form

MSN Admission Requirements and Registration

Post Masters Credit
The Clinical Nurse Specialist option is offered for post-masters credit to students with a Masters Degree in Nursing.  The program of study is individualized and based on transcript evaluation and clinical practice experience. 

Continuing Education for Advanced Practice Nurses
A wide variety of continuing education offerings are provided for the APN to maintain licensure and to stay current in practice. Pharmacology CEUs are offered for independent study and in scheduled classes. Internet offerings are also available.