UNC Health Care

RN Clinical Nurse Specialist - Emergency Department

UNC Health Care$86K — $124K *
Healthcare
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Master's degree in Nursing (MSN) from an accredited nursing program.
  • Licensed as a Registered Nurse in North Carolina.
  • 3+ years of nursing experience in the Emergency Department, Trauma Center, or ICU.
  • Preferred certifications include TNCC, ENPC, CEN, TCRN, or CCRN.
  • Expertise in evidence-based clinical practice and nursing education.

Responsibilities

  • Provide expert clinical care and advocacy for complex patients.
  • Guide and coach patients and caregivers in navigating healthcare systems.
  • Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to ensure coordinated patient care.
  • Identify and recommend improvements for patient care processes.
  • Collect and analyze patient data to evaluate nursing practice impact.
  • Promote shared governance and nursing professional development.
  • Lead quality improvement initiatives to enhance care delivery.

Benefits

  • Professional growth opportunities at local, regional, and national levels.
  • Engagement in quality and performance improvement initiatives.
  • Leadership roles within interprofessional and nursing teams.
  • Support in developing and implementing evidence-based practices.
Full Job Description
We are seeking a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) to join our Emergency Department team. In this role, you will serve as a clinical expert in emergency nursing, driving evidence-based practice, leading staff education, and spearheading quality improvement initiatives in a fast-paced, high-acuity environment. You will provide advanced clinical consultation, mentor nursing staff, and play a key role in developing and implementing policies that promote safe, efficient, and patient-centered emergency care.

This is an excellent opportunity for a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) who is passionate about emergency medicine and dedicated to advancing clinical excellence, improving patient outcomes, and supporting nursing practice across the Emergency Department.

Who We're Looking For

We're looking for a knowledgeable and compassionate Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) who brings clinical leadership, exceptional critical thinking skills, and a strong commitment to emergency nursing. The ideal candidate will have experience in staff development, project leadership, and interdisciplinary collaboration within a high-acuity setting. A passion for improving patient outcomes, supporting nursing excellence, and fostering a culture of continuous learning and evidence-based practice is essential.

Preferred Qualifications

  • A minimum of 3 years of nursing experience in an Emergency Department, Trauma Center, Critical Care (ICU), or another high-acuity acute care setting.
  • Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC) certification - Preferred
  • Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course (ENPC) certification - Preferred
  • Additional certifications such as Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN), Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN), or Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) - Preferred

Summary:

The Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) functions as part of a 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 other regulatory and accreditation standards. The
CNS integrates evidenced-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:
Patient Sphere:
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 health care outcomes.

Identifies opportunities to improve patient care. Determines appropriate outcomes for patient population and guides interventions to accomplish them.
Nursing/Nursing Practice Sphere:
Conducts 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.
Collects and analyzes patient data to document the impact of nursing practice on outcomes, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.
Promotes a healthy work environment through expert communication, facilitation skills and conveying mutual trust and respect to others on the healthcare team.
Provides leadership for interprofessional and nursing teams in identifying, developing, implementing, and evaluating evidence-based practices and research opportunities.
Organization/Systems Sphere:

Evaluate system strategies and outcomes, identifying gaps in practice.
Participates in, supports, and leads quality/performance improvement initiatives to advance patient care delivery and improve outcomes through best practice implementation.
Evaluates the implications of access, quality, safety, and cost on the delivery of healthcare.
Actively pursues professional growth and development within local, regional, or national levels.

Other Information

Other information:
Education Requirements:
• Master's degree in Nursing (MSN) from a school of professional nursing.
Licensure/Certification Requirements:
• Licensed to practice as a Registered Nurse in the state of North Carolina.
• Certification in the advanced practice area of specialization.
Professional Experience Requirements:
• Three (3) years of experience in the specialty.
Knowledge/Skills/and Abilities Requirements:


Job Details

Legal Employer: NCHEALTH

Entity: UNC REX Healthcare

Organization Unit: Rex Emergency Department

Work Type: Full Time

Standard Hours Per Week: 40.00

Salary Range: $41.45 - $59.58 per hour (Hiring Range)

Pay offers are determined by experience and internal equity

Work Assignment Type: Onsite

Work Schedule: Variable

Location of Job: US:NC:Raleigh

Exempt From Overtime: Exempt: Yes

This position is employed by NC Health (Rex Healthcare, Inc., d/b/a NC Health), a private, fully-owned subsidiary of UNC Heath Care System. This is not a State employed position.

About UNC Health Care

UNC Health Care is a not-for-profit integrated health care system owned by the state of North Carolina and based in Chapel Hill. Originally established November 1, 1998, by N.C.G.S. 116-37, UNC Health Care currently comprises UNC Hospitals and its provider network, the clinical programs of the UNC School of Medicine, and eleven affiliate hospitals and hospital systems across the state.
Learn more about UNC Health Care
Size
32,000 employees
Industry
Founded
1952

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at UNC Health Care

More Healthcare Jobs

  • Speech Language Pathologist School
    Confidential Company
    Houston, TX 77002 (Harris County)
  • LNHA – Business Development Sales
    $110K — $130K *
    American Physiatry
    Orlando, FL 32801 (Orange County)
  • Controller
    $80K — $150K + bonus additional *
    The Vernon Staffing Group
    Paris, TX 75460 (Lamar County)
  • Center-Based BCBA
    $85K — $110K *
    Proud Moments
    Bridgeton, NJ 08302 (Cumberland County)
  • BCBA
    $187K — $208K *
    Proud Moments
    Queens Village, NY 11429 (Queens County)

Find similar RN Clinical Nurse Specialist - Emergency Department jobs: