Clinical Nurse Specialist

Wayne UNC Health Care – Full-time, onsite day position (40 hrs/wk), exempt.

About the role

A Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) functions as part of the interdisciplinary healthcare team to provide high-quality, cost-effective care to patients within the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse scope. The role reflects the mission, vision, and values of the organization and complies with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines, and regulatory and accreditation standards. The CNS integrates evidence-based care across UNC Health through three spheres of impact: Clinical Practice with patients, Nursing/Nursing Practice, and Organization/Systems to produce sustainably improved patient outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert clinical care to complex patients within specialty population, advocating for a patient’s unique preference.
• Intervene to educate, guide, and coach the patient and/or caregivers to establish a patient-centered plan of care and navigate complex healthcare systems.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary members of the healthcare team to ensure comprehensive, coordinated care delivery to improve and promote healthcare outcomes.
• Identify opportunities to improve patient care and determine appropriate outcomes for patient population; guide interventions to accomplish them.
• Conduct clinical consultation, including coaching with bedside nurses, regarding performance of complex patient care interventions.
• Identify workflow barriers and recommend efficient improvements.
• Promote nursing involvement in shared governance, professional growth and development, and pursuit of clinical inquiry.
• Collect and analyze patient data to document the impact of nursing practice on outcomes, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.
• Promote a healthy work environment through expert communication, facilitation skills, and conveying mutual trust and respect to others on the healthcare team.
• Provide leadership for interprofessional and nursing teams in identifying, developing, implementing, and evaluating evidence-based practices and research opportunities.
• Evaluate system strategies and outcomes, identifying gaps in practice.
• Participate in, support, and lead quality/performance improvement initiatives to advance patient care delivery and improve outcomes through best practice implementation.
• Evaluate the implications of access, quality, safety, and cost on the delivery of healthcare.
• Actively pursue professional growth and development within local, regional, or national levels.

Requirements

• Completion of an accredited graduate-level Master of Science in Nursing program.
• Licensed as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in the state of North Carolina.
• Current certification as a Clinical Nurse Specialist from a national credentialing body approved by the NC Board of Nursing.
• Minimum of 3 years as a Registered Nurse.