CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALIST

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

CONSENSUS MODEL FOR APRN REGULATION

Nurse anesthetist CRNA

Nurse midwifeCNM

Nurse practitionerNP

Clinical Nurse Specialist

CNS

WHAT IS A CNS?

DefinitionSpheres of Practice

A Master’s prepared Advanced Practice nurse whose function is to improve outcomes in patient care Nursin

g

Systems

Patient care

National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists

CORE COMPETENCIES 1. Direct care competency2. Consultation competency3. Systems leadership

competency4. Collaboration competency5. Coaching competency6. Research competency7. Ethical decision-making

National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists 2010

WHERE DO CNS PRACTICE? Population

Setting: acute, ED, ICU, independent

Disease or medical subspecialty:

Type: rehabilitation, long term, mental health, palliative

Type of problem: wound, pain

WHO?

Family/individual across life spanAdult gerontologyNeonatalPediatricsWomen’s health/gender-relatedPsychiatric/mental health

WHAT? Performance improvement projects Equipment review Chart reviews Community projects such as smoking cessation Providing education Coaching and mentoring staff Facilitating process changes Improving the quality of nursing care Performing system analysis Conducting cost benefit analysis Advancing evidence-based practice Preventing injuries, medical errors, and infections Reducing readmissions Ensuring patient safety Investigator or co-investigators on research

projects Create, review or revise policies, procedures, or

protocols

OUTCOMES FOR PATIENTS Reducing medical complications in hospitalized patients

Reducing hospital costs

Reducing length of stay

Improving pain management practices

Increasing patient satisfaction

Improving nurse retention

Reducing frequency of ED visits

CLINICAL REQUIREMENTS

Criterion 4. CNS Curriculum 4-2. The CNS program requires a minimum of 500 supervised clinical (clock) hours for master’s and post-graduate preparation.

CNS students must have an opportunity to practice the CNS role in settings related to the population/focus area and, if appropriate, specialty of the program under the supervision of a CNS faculty member and/or a qualified CNS preceptor. “Clinical (clock) hours” refers to hours in which the student implements the CNS role in one or more of the Three Spheres of Influence.

Focus at USI is adult/gerontology with the roles of the CNS

National Task Force on the Guidelines for Clinical Nurse Specialist Education (2011).

CLINICAL SPECIALTY COURSES CNS

• 45 hours of clinical

NURS618 Advanced Health Assessment

• 150 hours of clinical

NURS 645 Adv. Nursing Assessment &Intervention I

• 150 hours of clinical

NURS 646 Adv. Nursing Assessment & Intervention II

• 200 hours of clinical

NURS 647 Adv. Nursing Assessment & Intervention III

CLINICAL SPECIALTY COURSES CNS

• 50 hours with NP or MD• Can bank 24 hours with CNS toward NURS 647• Didactic with tests

NURS 645 offered in fall semester

• Can bank 36 hours with CNS toward NURS 647• Didactic with tests

NURS 646 offered in spring semester

• 10 weeks• Review for CNS certification examination • Complete CNS synthesis project

NURS 647 offered in summer semester

PREPARATION Each student is required to secure their own preceptor.

The USI graduate handbook contains answers to more FAQ regarding class and clinical. You are expected to read and abide my the policies. Pay attention to the section on contracts and affiliation agreements.

Clinical agreements available USI.edu>>>Nursing and Health Professions>>>Academic Programs>>>Master of Science in Nursing>>>about the clinical experience>>>packet.

http://health.usi.edu/acadprog/nursing/msn/clinicals.asp

Documents in pdf format for ease of printing.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

Initiation request for USI affiliation agreement. Preceptor Agreement form Preceptor site survey. Forms that are illegible, incomplete, or contain abbreviations (such as CCHC) will NOT be processed.

All agreements with the preceptor, agency, and university MUST be submitted to administrative assistant Kim Sullivan kmsullivan@usi.edu

POINTS TO REMEMBER

All agreements with the preceptor, agency, and university MUST be submitted to administrative assistant Kim Sullivan kmsullivan@usi.edu

The student’s responsibility to confirm the Affiliation Agreement has been accepted.

You are responsible to maintain currency of Background check.

NO clinical time can begin UNTIL all paperwork is processed and approved.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALIST

www.nacns.org