What Do Clinical Nurse Specialists Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Clinical Nurse Specialists plan, direct, or coordinate the daily patient care activities in a clinical practice. Ensure adherence to established clinical policies, protocols, regulations, and standards. They also collaborate with other health care professionals and service providers to ensure optimal patient care.

Other tasks include:

• Provide consultation to other health care providers in areas such as patient discharge, patient care, or clinical procedures.
• Develop or assist others in development of care and treatment plans.
• Develop and maintain departmental policies, procedures, objectives, or patient care standards, based on evidence-based practice guidelines or expert opinion.
• Read current literature, talk with colleagues, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in nursing.
• Evaluate the quality and effectiveness of nursing practice or organizational systems.
• Develop, implement, or evaluate standards of nursing practice in specialty area such as pediatrics, acute care, and geriatrics.

We asked Clinical Nurse Specialists how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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74% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 82% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Clinical Nurse Specialists collaborate with other health care professionals and service providers to ensure optimal patient care. They provide consultation to other health care providers in areas such as patient discharge, patient care, or clinical procedures.

A typical day for a Clinical Nurse Specialist will also include:

• Develop or assist others in development of care and treatment plans.
• Monitor or evaluate medical conditions of patients in collaboration with other health care professionals.
• Direct or supervise nursing care staff in the provision of patient therapy.
• Present clients with information required to make informed health care and treatment decisions.
• Maintain departmental policies, procedures, objectives, or infection control standards.

We asked some Clinical Nurse Specialists a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	92% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	62% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	85% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	35% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	12% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	64% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Clinical Nurse Specialists also coordinate or conduct educational programs or in-service training sessions on topics such as clinical procedures. They may also chair nursing departments or committees.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Clinical Nurse Specialists Read current literature, talk with colleagues, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in nursing. They might also Develop nursing service philosophies, goals, policies, priorities, or procedures.

In addition, they Teach patient education programs that include information required to make informed health care and treatment decisions.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Observe, interview, and assess patients to identify care needs.

To some Clinical Nurse Specialists, it is also their responsibility to Perform discharge planning for patients.

Working life

More than 40 hours per week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Clinical Nurse Specialist, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like starting up and carrying out projects. They like leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business..

They also like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/OOH/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm

http://www.nursingworld.org/

http://www.asrn.org/

https://www.discovernursing.com/