Adult Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Certificate

Clinical Nurse Specialists are categorized as Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, who are experts in evidence-based nursing and practice in a range of specialty areas and engage in teaching, mentoring, consulting, research, management and systems improvement. The designation of Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) is limited to those nurses who have completed an accredited educational program with a master's degree in nursing or doctorate in nursing and are also board certified by a national specialty organization. Nurse practitioners (NP), certified nurse midwives (CNM), certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNA) and clinical nurse specialists (CNS) are considered Advanced Practice Registered Nurses.

While many commonalities exist between clinical nurse specialists and nurse practitioners, NPs have traditionally been considered to provide direct healthcare services within community settings, often working in underserved areas; while CNSs have been recognized for providing population-based services in acute care or community settings for those requiring high-acuity nursing services. The majority of CNSs provide services in acute care settings, though the CNS can contribute services to primary care as an independent practitioner or as a member of the healthcare team.

CNSs are educated with a specialty focus and have competencies to diagnose and treat disease related symptoms and functional problems as well as risk behaviors caused by factors other than disease. In primary care and/or home settings, CNSs provide services required for the provision of the full spectrum of care. These include but are not limited to transitional care from hospital or rehabilitation facility to home, psycho-educational self-care counseling, coaching to manage chronic disease, gerontological services, palliative care in the promotion of comfort/quality of life, foot care, wound care, stress-related counseling, mental health counseling, and psychotherapy. CNSs provide pharmaceuticals when medications are necessary to promote comfort, when persons with chronic diseases require a pharmaceutical adjustment. CNSs have prescriptive privileges in 38 states, including Illinois.