Primary City/State:
Phoenix, Arizona

Department Name:
Clin Educ/Workforce Dev-Corp

Work Shift:
Day

Job Category:
Nursing

A RN Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) serves as a clinical expert, educator, consultant, and change leader. The CNS supports the care of patients with complex healthcare needs, partners with multidisciplinary teams to improve quality and safety, and helps nurses implement best practices. Rather than focusing solely on direct patient care, the role influences care at the patient, nursing, and organizational levels.

Key responsibilities include:

• Providing expert consultation and support for complex patient care situations.
• Promoting evidence-based practice and translating research into clinical care.
• Monitoring quality, safety, patient satisfaction, and clinical outcomes.
• Coaching, mentoring, and developing nursing staff and clinical teams.
• Leading practice changes, quality improvement initiatives, and system-wide projects.
• Developing and revising clinical policies, protocols, and practice guidelines.
• Participating in committees, workgroups, and interdisciplinary collaborations to improve care delivery.
• Serving as a resource for ethical decision-making and complex clinical issues.

Successful candidates are strong clinical leaders who enjoy mentoring others, driving improvements in patient care, collaborating across departments, and influencing healthcare practices at both the facility and system level. This position combines advanced clinical expertise with education, leadership, quality improvement, and organizational change management.

The schedule for this position is Monday - Friday, 8AM - 5PM.

POSITION SUMMARY
This position is educationally and clinically prepared to function independently as an advance practice nurse in order to provide a scope of services to specialized patient populations. Integrates care across the patient/client, nursing and nursing practices, and the organization/network spheres. Uses clinical expertise in each sphere to improve patient outcomes and nursing care through individual mentoring and system changes that empower nurses to implement evidence-based care practices, and facilitate ethical decision making. This position works within the scope specified by the applicable State Board of Nursing Scope of Practice, as well as the organization's medical staff bylaws.

CORE FUNCTIONS

1. Assists in providing direct/indirect care for complex patients. May collaborate with the multidisciplinary team to develop and implement an interdisciplinary plan of care and advanced nursing interventions for select patients. Provides expert consultation based on evidence for patients with complex healthcare needs in area of expertise.

2. Monitor's patient care trends to ensure quality outcomes, patient satisfaction and cost-effective care. Facilitates resolution of ethical conflicts in complex patient care situations.

3. Sets standards for nursing practice based on professional specialty organizations and best available evidence to achieve nurse-sensitive outcomes. Assists nurses and the interprofessional team to evaluate and change practice standards to ensure nursing practice is evidence-based.

4. Conducts clinical inquiries to determine the need to change practice and assists in translating nursing research into practice. Collaborates with the inter-professional team to achieve optimal patient outcomes.

5. Acts as a clinical resource by providing expert coaching, mentoring, and role modeling. Consults with staff in identifying professional development needs and offers guidance in the form of instruction or resources as appropriate.

6. The CNS is involved in review, revision and development of Policies, Protocols and Clinical Practice Guidelines for disease specific populations and patient care.

7. Participates in facility specific and system focused workgroups, task forces, committees and Clinical Consensus Groups to address health care issues to influence change in practice to improve outcomes.

8. Uses his or her skills to address the needs of the staff and patients from a broad perspective which can extend across multiple care units within a facility and across the system. Integrates critical thinking skill with systems knowledge, educational commitment, and leadership ability.

9. Serves as a change agent when introducing and integrating evidence-based practices across the system. The CNS guides, leads and facilitates change efforts to increase patient safety and the quality of nursing care at the facility and system level.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Must possess knowledge of clinical care and patient treatment as normally obtained through the completion of master's degree in nursing.

Requires current RN license in state of practice. Must be certified to practice by the State Board of Nursing as a certified nurse specialist within specialty area. Requires current BLS certification.

Demonstrates proficiency in computer applications and database management. Exhibits an exemplary professional demeanor and interpersonal relationship skills.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

DNP or PhD preferred. Previous relevant experience preferred.

Additional related education and/or experience preferred.