A Registered Nurse (RN) who attends school to specialize in certain areas of nursing is a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS). CNSs generally focus on one area of practice such as pediatrics, geriatrics, oncology, gynecology, etc. They may also choose to focus on surgical skills in these areas, teaching, research or clinical duties needed. They are truly specialists in all areas of nursing and they get paid for having these skills. One of the most important factors in becoming a CNS is your education. There are several ways to achieve the needed educational requirements to become a CNS. Below are several tips on what you need, and how long it will take to become a CNS.
- Know the general duties of a clinical nurse specialist. The CNS job description is consistent no matter where you work. CNSs have varied duties, depending on their particular specializations. However, the CNS performs tasks such as administering and prescribing medication, evaluating the effectiveness of a treatment, fulfilling administrative tasks such as scheduling appointments and procedures, and giving nursing instruction. One of the main differences between an RN and CNS is that the RN has more contact with patients than the CNS. The RN will treat the patients under his or her care, giving medications and one on one care. The CNS however will be more focused on optimizing patient care, training new nurses, and analyzing new practices with sometimes minimal patient contact.
- Choose the particular specialization you would like to have. Job opportunities for CNSs are available at every hospital, nursing home and doctor's office. Nurses specializing in one specific area are rare, and in high demand due to the shortage of regular nurses. CNSs will choose to specialize in one specific field area such as pediatrics, geriatrics, oncology, surgery, diseases, gynecology, etc.
- Acquire the proper training. A registered nurse may change the path of his or her nursing career by becoming a clinical nurse specialist through taking a graduate program in the field of specialization of his or her choice. This graduate program usually takes two years, including about 500 hours of hands-on training, after which he or she could obtain the Master’s of Science in Nursing degree. Check out the directory of U.S. Clinical Nurse Specialist Programs, available at the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists website. Some CNS programs allow those who have bachelor’s degrees in science, but are not nurses, to become a CNS. You must spend more time in school to take the necessary courses to become a nurse. Before admissions you need to take an examination called the GRE (Graduate Records Examination).
- Become certified. After taking further education in a specialized field, you may be required to obtain certification from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
- Know the job outlook. The job outlook for all nursing jobs and health care professions is expected to rise exceptionally well, but the job outlook is even more positive for nurses with the highest levels of training and specializations, such as clinical nurse specialist jobs. The annual salary for a CNS is around $81,000.
- Remember to take continuing education credits. It is important to remember to stay up to date on your continuing education units (CEUs). State licensure in most states requires a certain amount of hours (credits) to be taken every year in order to renew your license to practice. These are generally offered through your work place for free, or you can contact the state board and pay a small fee to take them.
These are some of the important things to remember with regard to becoming a clinical nurse specialist. Going to an accredited school will ensure that you receive up to date information and the best education possible. There are also some online schools that offer training for those aspiring to become a clinical nurse specialist. Though specializing in a particular field will definitely take extra time and effort, its benefits will make it all worthwhile.