General Summary of Position Responsibility:

The Advanced Practice Nurse/Clinical Nurse Specialist collaborates with members of the health care team to enhance patient care by developing, educating, supporting nursing staff and providing clincal expertise to patients and their families at CMH. The CNS scope of practice includes clinican, educator, researcher, consultant, leader, role model and change agent. S/he functions as an integral part of a larger interdisciplinary team contributing to excellence in patient care, research, and teaching. S/he provides leadership to the nursing staff and organization in order to promote the avancement of nursing at CMH and in the community-at-large. The CNS role is unique to the specialty area and in accordance with individual credentialing.

Essential Job Functions:

1. Clinician

1. Provides expertise in specialty area to identify and address educational, clinical and systems issues in order to promote quality patient care.
2. Utilizing evidence based research and theoretical knowledge, collaborates with members of the health care team in assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation and evaluation of direct patient care and patient care practices in the area of expertise.
3. Acts as a clinical resource to staff and other members of the health care team.
4. Supports nursing staff in role modeling evidence-based clinical care.

2. Educator

1. Assesses the learning needs of the nursing staff, patients, and family.
2. Develops, plans, implements and evaluates educational opportunities to address learning needs and skills.
3. Supports, coaches and mentors nursing staff to promote evidence based clinical practice, knowledge, skills and professional development.
4. Supports leadership by participating in staff orientation, staff development, and staff retention through clinically and professionally relevant educational offerings.
5. Provides leadership to members of the health care team in the development of education standards and protocols.

3. Researcher

1. Critically appraises research based literature and uses research as basis for clinical practice.
2. Applies evidence based research in the development, implementation and evaluation of standards of care, policies and protocols.
3. Initiates or collaborates in quality improvement projects or research designed to improve patient care outcomes and advance nursing knowledge.
4. Provides leadership for nursing research and stimulates staff interests in research activities.
5. Serves as patient advocate in clinical research activities.

4. Consultant

1. Acts as a resource consultant by:
   1. Establishing and evaluating standards of patient care within assigned unit/department.
   2. Providing expertise and leadership on hospital and nursing committees, councils or task forces representing advanced clinical practice and area of expertise.
   3. Designing, implementing, and evaluating programs and projects to facilitate unit-based initiatives and institutional goals and objectives.
   4. Serving as an educational resource and consultant to nurse, APNS, other health care providers and families in the unit, hospital, and community in areas of professional practice and clinical area of expertise.
   5. Actively initiates consultations for patients and families.
2. Acts as a process consultant by serving as a facilitator of change.
3. Supports accreditation, program certification and regulatory activities as related to specialty area patient populations and nursing staff.

5. Leader

1. Advances the delivery of effective care to patients and families through role modeling the advanced practice professional nursing.
2. Collaborates with other professionals within the health care team effectively to maintain positive working relationships and obtain positive outcomes.
3. Empowers staff in gaining knowledge, skills and confidence through mentorship.
4. Assists and supports nursing staff in professional development.
5. Demonstrates abilities in conflict management with staff, patients or families.
6. Assumes responsibility for professional self-development through active participation in unit based and/or hospital wide committees and/or projects.
7. Quality of work reflects high professional and ethical standards.

Job Requirements:

Master's degree or higher from an accredited school of nursing with appropriate specialty certification for licensure as an Advanced Practice Nurse / Clinical Nurse Specialist.

1. Minimum of two (2) years of relevant nursing experience required, preferable in pediatrics.
2. Licensure in the State of Illinois as an APN is required.
3. Basic Life Support (BLS) and Pediatric Life Support (PALS) certification required.
4. Any other Certification required for specialty area.
5. Demonstrates excellent interpersonal skills, basic computer skills and good verbal and written communication skills

Requires at least two years of relevant nursing experience, preferrably with pediatric populaiton.