Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) - Dept of Med MLPs

Tenet•Detroit, MI

13d

About The Position

The Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) is an advanced practice nurse who provides primary and/or specialized health care to individuals, families, groups, and communities across the health-illness continuum. Using advanced clinical knowledge, diagnostic reasoning, therapeutic interventions, and education in a collaborative model, the CNS makes clinical judgments using independent and interdependent decision-making skills. The role focuses on direct and indirect care for identified patient populations and includes consultation, education, research, and service as a resource and role model. The CNS evaluates care quality, promotes system changes to improve care and organizational effectiveness, applies research to improve health care delivery, and maintains professional development. The CNS assesses patients, develops and implements plans of care and nursing interventions, evaluates outcomes, and coordinates continuity of care. The role includes consulting with patients, families, communities, and health care providers; developing and delivering education; conducting and applying research; providing clinical leadership and supervising practice; and supporting legal, ethical, regulatory, and organizational standards. The posting describes Michigan scope-of-practice provisions, including delegated authority to prescribe non-controlled substances and the ability to take physician verbal orders that must be co-signed within 24 hours. It also states that procedures may be performed under direct physician supervision following training and documented ongoing competence.

Requirements

Registered nurse licensure to practice in Michigan.
Master’s degree in nursing, described as a clinical-based degree.
Two years of clinical experience as a professional nurse.
National certification in an advanced practice nursing specialty is required, where available, within six months of employment for covered hires; exceptions apply when certification eligibility requires more than six months of clinical practice. Failure to obtain available certification results in termination.
Effective verbal and written communication skills.
Interpersonal, educational, and clinical skills to teach or counsel patients, families, health care providers, and the community.
Leadership skills, including willingness to pursue increasingly accountable leadership roles, comfort with decision-making, coaching, teaching and counseling ability, and the ability to inspire others, build confidence, form alliances, and garner support.
Creative thinking, self-direction, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
Clinical expertise, theoretical knowledge, and analytical abilities necessary to perform the principal duties and responsibilities.

Responsibilities

Assess patient health through comprehensive histories, physical examinations, and analysis of data; formulate diagnoses and prioritize nursing interventions.
Develop and document individualized, comprehensive plans of care in collaboration with patients, families, and other health care professionals.
Implement interdisciplinary care-plan interventions, including therapeutic interventions, education and counseling, and health care or community referrals.
Evaluate and document patient progress toward expected outcomes using interdisciplinary collaboration, quality indicators, and multiple sources of data.
Coordinate and facilitate continuity of care across institutional and organizational boundaries as needed.
Advocate for patients and families to ensure ethical and culturally sensitive delivery of health care services.
Consult with patients, families, communities, nursing and medical staff, and other health care providers by providing clinical expertise.
Promote integration of a nursing perspective in planning, policy making, and problem-solving; provide consultation to agencies and groups.
Assess nursing staff knowledge and skills and provide education to enhance performance, problem-solving, and critical thinking.
Design, implement, coordinate, and evaluate educational materials and programs for clients, health care professionals, and the community.
Educate health care providers on patient and family teaching strategies; instruct patients, families, and caregivers on conditions, management, follow-up care, medications, prevention, promotion, and coping.
Precept, teach, coach, and mentor students, nurses, and other health care providers.
Conduct research independently or collaboratively, analyze and disseminate relevant nursing research, and apply findings in clinical practice.
Use independent judgment to recommend changes in clinical practice and nursing interventions; apply continuous quality improvement and fiscal responsibility.
Provide clinical leadership, supervise clinical practice, and promote effective, efficient, high-quality care at departmental, divisional, and organizational levels.
Maintain clinical expertise and professional knowledge through ongoing professional activity; participate in appraisal of practice, model professionalism, advance nursing, and set and pursue professional goals.
Support DMC Code of Conduct standards and implement audit recommendations as directed; monitor compliance with applicable laws, regulations, JCAHO requirements, and DMC policies and procedures.
Perform medical procedures under direct physician supervision after appropriate initial training and demonstration of competence, with ongoing competence documented, as applicable.
Take direct verbal orders from a licensed physician and document them in the patient medical record; the physician must co-sign within 24 hours, as applicable.