Proposal for a job description for clinical nurse specialist/educator

Proposal for a job description for clinical nurse specialist/educator

Job Proposal for Clinical Nurse Specialist Job Proposal for Clinical Nurse Specialist Job Description and Responsibilities
The Education- Portal (2012) defined a clinical nurse specialist (CNS) as “ a healthcare professional who specializes in a particular field of clinical nursing, such as adult critical care or neonatal clinical care. Clinical nurse specialist education programs are available at the graduate level” (Education-Portal: Clinical Nurse Specialist Training, 2012, par. 1). The role of a clinical nurse specialist (CNS) or clinical nurse educator (CNE) is crucial in terms of providing “ nursing professional development and education services by assisting nurses in preparing for contemporary practice and supporting them in acquiring the knowledge and skills so that they can competently collect patient health data, analyze the data to determine diagnoses, identify expected outcomes individualized to the patient, develop a plan of care that prescribes interventions to attain the expected outcomes, implement the interventions identified in the plan of care, and evaluate the patient’s progress toward attainment of the outcomes in the medical/surgical care settings” (Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, 2004, p. 1).
As emphasized in the Education-Portal (2012), a clinical nurse specialist or CNE assumes an advanced – practice expert position within an organizational or health care setting providing both patient care and consultation services in various health-related areas including “ gerontology, cardiovascular health or public policy. In addition to providing direct patient care and consultation, a clinical nurse specialist is typically involved in education, research and facility administration” (Education-Portal, 2012, par. 2). A wide range of responsibilities are earmarked for this position including the following: (1) ttreatments of different patients from diverse backgrounds and performing tasks such as basic wellness assessments to gynecological or mental health exams; (2) providing consultations for patients and their families to ensure greater understanding of medical conditions and alternatives for treatment; and (3) directly involved in governing over the management or administrative functions of a health care institution, facility, or clinic.
Compensation
As revealed in the Education-Portal (2012) and citing the information from Salary. com, “ the median yearly salary for a clinical nurse specialist was $81, 586 as of 2010. According to the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), job prospects for nurses are expected to grow 22% from 2008 to 2018, which is a higher rate than the average for all professions. In particular, the BLS emphasizes that clinical nurse specialists will be in increasingly strong demand (www. bls. gov)” (Education-Portal, 2012, par. 4).
Value Added by the Position to the Organization
Due to higher expertise of the CNE, as compared to Registered Nurses, there are immense value added by the position to the health care institution in terms of the level and extent of specialization developed by the specialist. If the organization requires additional knowledge and applications on identified specialized fields of endeavor (gerontology, cardiovascular health, adult critical care or neonatal clinical care), the expertise gained from training, education and work experience would be instrumental in contributing new information to the organization that needs it. Likewise, additional research could be conducted by the CNE to further improve knowledge and understanding on a specified field of endeavor, as required in the health care setting.
References
Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. (2004, June 29). Job Description. Retrieved May 11, 2012, from http://www. anthc. org/mod/jobweb/pdf/05-050. pdf
Education-Portal. (2012). Clinical Nurse Specialist Training and Education Program Summaries. Retrieved May 11, 2012, from http://education-portal. com/articles/Clinical_Nurse_Specialist_Training_and_Education_Program_Summaries. html
Education-Portal. (2012). Clinical Nurse Specialist: Job Description, Duties and Requirements. Retrieved May 11, 2012, from http://education-portal. com/articles/Clinical_Nurse_Specialist_Job_Description_Duties_and_Requirements. html