Clinical Nurse Specialist - Atrium Health Cabarrus Nursing Education Medical/Surgical Units FT

Job Summary

The Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) is an advanced practice nurse who influences patient care outcomes through three spheres of impact: patient and family nurses and nursing practice and organizations & systems. Within the patient sphere the CNS provides and supports safe evidenced based and culturally sensitive care. Within the nursing sphere the CNS leads the advancement of nursing practice to drive nursing excellence and promote a positive practice environment. Within the organizational sphere the CNS designs initiatives that improve outcomes optimize resources and drive system strategic goals.

Core Elements of CNS Practice:

• Promotes patient safety and quality outcomes through clinical inquiry and clinical judgment.
• Demonstrates specialty/advanced practice clinical expertise in caring for diverse patient populations.
• Optimizes resource utilization and coordination of care throughout the patient encounter and across the continuum.
• Supports and designs processes for patients and families to safely navigate a complex health care system.
• Creates and translates best evidence into clinical practice.
• Supports a just culture by identifying the root causes of issues to differentiate among failures in the system educational needs and/or compliance issues.
• Collaborates to facilitate interprofessional safe practice through shared decision making.
• Fosters an inclusive and respectful workplace culture through authentic leadership and intentional communication.
• Diagnoses and manages patients acute and chronic health problems within an advanced practice nursing framework.
• Collaborates with senior executive leaders to design and support the nursing strategic plan.
• Aligns CNS led initiatives with the organizations strategic plan mission and vision.

• Advocates for equitable healthcare by designing and employing initiatives that consider individual preferences and social determinants of health.

Essential Functions

• Conducts comprehensive holistic wellness to illness assessments using evidence base techniques and tools.
• Synthesizes assessment data advanced knowledge and experience using critical thinking and clinical judgment to formulate differential diagnoses for clinical problems amendable to CNS intervention.
• Designs initiatives to meet the multifaceted needs of complex patients that integrate health equity strategies to eliminate disparities.
• Develops evidencebased clinical interventions and systems to achieve defined patient and system outcomes.
• Provides CNS consultation to staff nurses medical staff and interdisciplinary colleagues.
• Provides leadership for collaborative evidencebased revision of diagnoses and plans of care to improve patient outcomes.
• Directs/provides care to select patients based on need and the CNSs expertise.
• Leads and participates in activities such as interprofessional rounds.
• Identifies potential risks to patient safety autonomy and quality of care.
• Intervenes to prevent and/or minimize iatrogenesis and ensure patient safety.
• Develops interventions that promote patient family and community safety.
• Identifies gaps in translation of evidence into practice by participating in CCAs & RCAs.
• Supports the development of innovative costeffective programs/ protocols.
• Facilitates clinically competent care through education role modeling teambuilding and quality monitoring.
• Communicates effectively with nursing staff to best meet patients needs.
• Participates in preprofessional graduate and continuing education of nurses to include:
  • Conducts needs assessments as appropriate
  • Implementation of staff development and continuing education activities
  • Mentoring of nurses to translate research into practice
• Facilitates development of critical thinking in health care team members.
• Leads and participates in interprofessional teams examining data and trends to identify system opportunities as well as gaps/barriers due to both internal and external factors.
• Conducts cost/benefit and cost avoidance analysis of programs processes and technologies.