College of Nursing and Health Professions

Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)

The Clinical Nurse Specialist is an advanced clinician holding a master’s degree who functions as an expert clinician, leader, researcher, educator, and consultant that exerts influence in three spheres:  patient/family, nursing personnel, and organization system.  The CNS graduate acquires knowledge and experience to provide services to individuals in an area of specialization across the lifespan in health promotion, disease prevention, and management of common acute and / or chronic illness.  The CNS works in a variety of clinical settings including acute care hospitals, community agencies, long term care, home care, and physician offices.  There are a total of 45 credit hours in the specialty with 545 clinical hours.  The Clinical Nurse Specialist graduate is prepared to:

• Provide expert outcome-oriented nursing therapeutics for complex patients to promote health, well being, and quality of life.
• Manage the integration and coordination of patient care services across the health care continuum. 
• Design and implement patient and staff educational programs for promotion of positive health care outcomes.
• Consult and collaborate with members of the health care team to support the delivery of quality patient care.
• Utilize research methodology and evidence to investigate, promote, and evaluate nursing therapies that produce positive patient care outcomes.
• Model responsibility for continued professional development, integrity, accountability, competence, and credentialing as a clinical nurse specialist.

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