Clinical Nurse Specialists

Core Tasks

1. Evaluate the quality and effectiveness of nursing practice or organizational systems.
2. Collaborate with other health care professionals and service providers to ensure optimal patient care.
3. Develop and maintain departmental policies, procedures, objectives, or patient care standards, based on evidence-based practice guidelines or expert opinion.
4. Develop nursing service philosophies, goals, policies, priorities, or procedures.
5. Direct or supervise nursing care staff in the provision of patient therapy.
6. Read current literature, talk with colleagues, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in nursing.
7. Instruct nursing staff in areas such as the assessment, development, implementation, and evaluation of disability, illness, management, technology, or resources.
8. Provide coaching and mentoring to other caregivers to help facilitate their professional growth and development.
9. Provide consultation to other health care providers in areas such as patient discharge, patient care, or clinical procedures.
10. Develop, implement, or evaluate standards of nursing practice in specialty area, such as pediatrics, acute care, and geriatrics.
11. Maintain departmental policies, procedures, objectives, or infection control standards.
12. Make clinical recommendations to physicians, other health care providers, insurance companies, patients, or health care organizations.
13. Develop or assist others in development of care and treatment plans.
14. Plan, evaluate, or modify treatment programs, based on information gathered by observing and interviewing patients or by analyzing patient records.
15. Provide specialized direct and indirect care to inpatients and outpatients within a designated specialty, such as obstetrics, neurology, oncology, or neonatal care.
16. Monitor or evaluate medical conditions of patients in collaboration with other health care professionals.
17. Design evaluation programs regarding the quality and effectiveness of nursing practice or organizational systems.
18. Coordinate or conduct educational programs or in-service training sessions on topics, such as clinical procedures.
19. Observe, interview, and assess patients to identify care needs.
20. Lead nursing department implementation of, or compliance with, regulatory or accreditation processes.
21. Present clients with information required to make informed health care and treatment decisions.
22. Participate in clinical research projects, such as by reviewing protocols, reviewing patient records, monitoring compliance, and meeting with regulatory authorities.
23. Chair nursing departments or committees.
24. Design patient education programs that include information required to make informed health care and treatment decisions.
25. Provide direct care by performing comprehensive health assessments, developing differential diagnoses, conducting specialized tests, or prescribing medications or treatments.
26. Prepare reports to document patients' care activities.
27. Write nursing orders.
28. Identify training needs or conduct training sessions for nursing students or medical staff.
29. Perform discharge planning for patients.
30. Teach patient education programs that include information required to make informed health care and treatment decisions.

Technology & Tools

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