An official State of Ohio site. Here’s how you know
Language Translation
Contact

Welcome,
New User

User: New User

Date: 09/18/2025

Clinical Nurse Specialists

Direct nursing staff in the provision of patient care in a clinical practice setting, such as a hospital, hospice, clinic, or home. Ensure adherence to established clinical policies, protocols, regulations, and standards.

View All
  • Work Activities
  • Skills
  • WorkKeys®
  • Abilities
  • Knowledge
  • Career Video
  • Pay
  • Ohio Employment Trends
  • Typical Education
  • Personality
  • Tools
  • Technology
  • Tags
  • Participate in clinical research projects, such as by reviewing protocols, reviewing patient records, monitoring compliance, and meeting with regulatory authorities.
  • Write nursing orders.
  • Provide direct care by performing comprehensive health assessments, developing differential diagnoses, conducting specialized tests, or prescribing medications or treatments.
  • Teach patient education programs that include information required to make informed health care and treatment decisions.
  • Direct or supervise nursing care staff in the provision of patient therapy.
  • Provide coaching and mentoring to other caregivers to help facilitate their professional growth and development.
  • Provide consultation to other health care providers in areas such as patient discharge, patient care, or clinical procedures.
  • Make clinical recommendations to physicians, other health care providers, insurance companies, patients, or health care organizations.
  • Plan, evaluate, or modify treatment programs, based on information gathered by observing and interviewing patients or by analyzing patient records.
  • Monitor or evaluate medical conditions of patients in collaboration with other health care professionals.
  • Observe, interview, and assess patients to identify care needs.
  • Lead nursing department implementation of, or compliance with, regulatory or accreditation processes.
  • Chair nursing departments or committees.
  • Read current literature, talk with colleagues, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in nursing.
  • Instruct nursing staff in areas such as the assessment, development, implementation, and evaluation of disability, illness, management, technology, or resources.
  • Develop, implement, or evaluate standards of nursing practice in specialty area, such as pediatrics, acute care, and geriatrics.
  • Develop or assist others in development of care and treatment plans.
  • Provide specialized direct and indirect care to inpatients and outpatients within a designated specialty, such as obstetrics, neurology, oncology, or neonatal care.
  • Monitor or evaluate medical conditions of patients in collaboration with other health care professionals.
  • Design evaluation programs regarding the quality and effectiveness of nursing practice or organizational systems.
  • Observe, interview, and assess patients to identify care needs.
  • Provide direct care by performing comprehensive health assessments, developing differential diagnoses, conducting specialized tests, or prescribing medications or treatments.
  • Perform discharge planning for patients.
  • Design patient education programs that include information required to make informed health care and treatment decisions.
  • Develop nursing service philosophies, goals, policies, priorities, or procedures.
  • Maintain departmental policies, procedures, objectives, or infection control standards.
  • Plan, evaluate, or modify treatment programs, based on information gathered by observing and interviewing patients or by analyzing patient records.
  • Coordinate or conduct educational programs or in-service training sessions on topics, such as clinical procedures.
  • Collaborate with other health care professionals and service providers to ensure optimal patient care.
  • Develop and maintain departmental policies, procedures, objectives, or patient care standards, based on evidence-based practice guidelines or expert opinion.
  • Present clients with information required to make informed health care and treatment decisions.
  • Participate in clinical research projects, such as by reviewing protocols, reviewing patient records, monitoring compliance, and meeting with regulatory authorities.
  • Prepare reports to document patients' care activities.
  • Identify training needs or conduct training sessions for nursing students or medical staff.

Work Activities

Work Activities

  • Participate in clinical research projects, such as by reviewing protocols, reviewing patient records, monitoring compliance, and meeting with regulatory authorities.
  • Write nursing orders.
  • Provide direct care by performing comprehensive health assessments, developing differential diagnoses, conducting specialized tests, or prescribing medications or treatments.
  • Teach patient education programs that include information required to make informed health care and treatment decisions.
  • Direct or supervise nursing care staff in the provision of patient therapy.
  • Provide coaching and mentoring to other caregivers to help facilitate their professional growth and development.
  • Provide consultation to other health care providers in areas such as patient discharge, patient care, or clinical procedures.
  • Make clinical recommendations to physicians, other health care providers, insurance companies, patients, or health care organizations.
  • Plan, evaluate, or modify treatment programs, based on information gathered by observing and interviewing patients or by analyzing patient records.
  • Monitor or evaluate medical conditions of patients in collaboration with other health care professionals.
  • Observe, interview, and assess patients to identify care needs.
  • Lead nursing department implementation of, or compliance with, regulatory or accreditation processes.
  • Chair nursing departments or committees.
  • Read current literature, talk with colleagues, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in nursing.
  • Instruct nursing staff in areas such as the assessment, development, implementation, and evaluation of disability, illness, management, technology, or resources.
  • Develop, implement, or evaluate standards of nursing practice in specialty area, such as pediatrics, acute care, and geriatrics.
  • Develop or assist others in development of care and treatment plans.
  • Provide specialized direct and indirect care to inpatients and outpatients within a designated specialty, such as obstetrics, neurology, oncology, or neonatal care.
  • Monitor or evaluate medical conditions of patients in collaboration with other health care professionals.
  • Design evaluation programs regarding the quality and effectiveness of nursing practice or organizational systems.
  • Observe, interview, and assess patients to identify care needs.
  • Provide direct care by performing comprehensive health assessments, developing differential diagnoses, conducting specialized tests, or prescribing medications or treatments.
  • Perform discharge planning for patients.
  • Design patient education programs that include information required to make informed health care and treatment decisions.
  • Develop nursing service philosophies, goals, policies, priorities, or procedures.
  • Maintain departmental policies, procedures, objectives, or infection control standards.
  • Plan, evaluate, or modify treatment programs, based on information gathered by observing and interviewing patients or by analyzing patient records.
  • Coordinate or conduct educational programs or in-service training sessions on topics, such as clinical procedures.
  • Collaborate with other health care professionals and service providers to ensure optimal patient care.
  • Develop and maintain departmental policies, procedures, objectives, or patient care standards, based on evidence-based practice guidelines or expert opinion.
  • Present clients with information required to make informed health care and treatment decisions.
  • Participate in clinical research projects, such as by reviewing protocols, reviewing patient records, monitoring compliance, and meeting with regulatory authorities.
  • Prepare reports to document patients' care activities.
  • Identify training needs or conduct training sessions for nursing students or medical staff.

Skills

  • Coordination

    Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

  • Installation

    Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

  • Quality Control Analysis

    Testing how well a product or service works.

  • Active Learning

    Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

  • Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • Management of Financial Resources

    Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

  • Technology Design

    Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

  • Operations Analysis

    Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

  • Equipment Maintenance

    Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

  • Systems Evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • Time Management

    Managing your time and the time of other people.

  • Negotiation

    Bringing people together to solve differences.

  • Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • Social Perceptiveness

    Understanding people's reactions.

  • Complex Problem Solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • Operation and Control

    Using equipment or systems.

  • Equipment Selection

    Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

  • Repairing

    Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

  • Judgment and Decision Making

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

  • Management of Personnel Resources

    Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

  • Mathematics

    Using math to solve problems.

  • Critical Thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • Reading Comprehension

    Reading work-related information.

  • Troubleshooting

    Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

  • Service Orientation

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • Programming

    Writing computer programs.

  • Systems Analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

  • Management of Material Resources

    Managing equipment and materials.

  • Learning Strategies

    Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

  • Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

  • Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

  • Operations Monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

  • Science

    Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

  • Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • Active Listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

WorkKeys®

Applied Math
4
Workplace Documents
5
Graphic Literacy
4

Abilities

  • Oral Expression

    Communicating by speaking.

  • Manual Dexterity

    Holding or moving items with your hands.

  • Written Expression

    Communicating by writing.

  • Spatial Orientation

    Knowing where things are around you.

  • Control Precision

    Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • Written Comprehension

    Reading and understanding what is written.

  • Speed of Closure

    Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

  • Fluency of Ideas

    Coming up with lots of ideas.

  • Number Facility

    Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

  • Oral Comprehension

    Listening and understanding what people say.

  • Memorization

    Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

  • Visual Color Discrimination

    Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

  • Response Orientation

    Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

  • Finger Dexterity

    Putting together small parts with your fingers.

  • Speech Clarity

    Speaking clearly.

  • Peripheral Vision

    Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

  • Near Vision

    Seeing details up close.

  • Hearing Sensitivity

    Telling the difference between sounds.

  • Gross Body Equilibrium

    Keeping your balance or staying upright.

  • Dynamic Flexibility

    Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

  • Problem Sensitivity

    Noticing when problems happen.

  • Originality

    Creating new and original ideas.

  • Mathematical Reasoning

    Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

  • Time Sharing

    Doing two or more things at the same time.

  • Visualization

    Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

  • Trunk Strength

    Using your lower back and stomach.

  • Rate Control

    Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

  • Dynamic Strength

    Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

  • Extent Flexibility

    Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

  • Multilimb Coordination

    Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

  • Glare Sensitivity

    Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

  • Information Ordering

    Ordering or arranging things.

  • Category Flexibility

    Grouping things in different ways.

  • Deductive Reasoning

    Using rules to solve problems.

  • Flexibility of Closure

    Seeing hidden patterns.

  • Inductive Reasoning

    Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

  • Arm-Hand Steadiness

    Keeping your arm or hand steady.

  • Selective Attention

    Paying attention to something without being distracted.

  • Auditory Attention

    Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

  • Night Vision

    Seeing at night or under low light.

  • Depth Perception

    Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

  • Sound Localization

    Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

  • Reaction Time

    Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

  • Far Vision

    Seeing details that are far away.

  • Speech Recognition

    Recognizing spoken words.

  • Wrist-Finger Speed

    Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

  • Stamina

    Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

  • Speed of Limb Movement

    Quickly moving your arms and legs.

  • Static Strength

    Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

  • Perceptual Speed

    Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • Explosive Strength

    Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

  • Gross Body Coordination

    Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

Knowledge

  • Therapy and Counseling

    Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

  • Medicine and Dentistry

    Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

  • History and Archeology

    Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

  • Public Safety and Security

    Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

  • Computers and Electronics

    Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • Chemistry

    Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

  • Economics and Accounting

    Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

  • Mathematics

    Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

  • Customer and Personal Service

    Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

  • Administration and Management

    Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

  • Sales and Marketing

    Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • Design

    Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • Production and Processing

    Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

  • Sociology and Anthropology

    Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

  • Personnel and Human Resources

    Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

  • Mechanical

    Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • Geography

    Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

  • Telecommunications

    Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • Communications and Media

    Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

  • Transportation

    Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

  • Fine Arts

    Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

  • Foreign Language

    Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

  • Engineering and Technology

    Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

  • Biology

    Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

  • Education and Training

    Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • Philosophy and Theology

    Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

  • Law and Government

    Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

  • Administrative

    Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

  • Psychology

    Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

  • Food Production

    Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

  • Physics

    Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

  • English Language

    Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • Building and Construction

    Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

Career Video

Video not available
Additional videos and more information available on CareerOneStop

Pay

  • Typical Salary
  • $103,650
    $81,250
    $66,060
    Ohio
    US
    $135,320
    $93,600
    $66,030
  • Typical Hourly Wage
  • $50
    $39
    $32
    Ohio
    US
    $65
    $45
    $32

Ohio Employment Trends

  • Currently Employed 135,860
  • Yearly Projected Openings 7630

Typical Education

Personality

Social: People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking.They do well at jobs that need:
  • Integrity
  • Adaptability/Flexibility
  • Initiative
  • Concern for Others
  • Dependability
  • Attention to Detail

Tools

  • Acute care fetal or maternal monitoring units
  • Anesthesia nerve block kit or tray
  • Apnea monitors
  • Arterial blood gas monitors
  • Arterial line catheters
  • Autotransfusion units
  • Bedpans
  • Blood collection syringes
  • Blood pressure cuff kits
  • Breast pumps
  • Bronchoscopes
  • Cardiac output CO monitoring units
  • Cardiac pacemaker generators or cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemakers CRT-P
  • Cast cutters or saws
  • Cast or splint carts or stands
  • Central venous catheters
  • Clinical incubators or infant warmers
  • Clinical trapeze bars
  • Crutches
  • Desktop computers
  • Diagnostic or interventional vascular catheters for general use
  • Electrocardiography EKG transmitters or telemetry devices
  • Electrocardiography EKG units
  • Electronic blood pressure units
  • Electronic medical thermometers
  • Electrosurgical or electrocautery equipment
  • Emergency or resuscitation carts
  • End tidal carbon dioxide monitors
  • Endoscopic hemostatic balloons or needles or tubes or accessories
  • Endoscopic instrument sets
  • Endotracheal or tracheotomy sets
  • Endotracheal tubes
  • Enema kits
  • Enteral feeding infusion pump tubing sets
  • Eye charts or vision cards
  • Finger ring removers or cutters
  • Flow sensors or regulators or components
  • Glucose monitors or meters
  • Goggles
  • Gurneys or scissor lifts
  • Intermittent positive pressure breathing IPPB machines
  • Intracranial pressure ICP monitoring units
  • Intravenous infusion pumps for general use
  • Intravenous or arterial catheter trays
  • Intubation forceps
  • Intubator components
  • Laboratory graduated cylinders
  • Lancets
  • Manual resuscitators
  • Medical acoustic stethoscopes
  • Medical aspiration or irrigation syringes
  • Medical exam or non surgical procedure gloves
  • Medical nasal oxygen catheters or catheterization kits
  • Medical or surgical suction or vacuum appliances
  • Medical oxygen masks or parts
  • Medical radiological positioning aids for general radiological use
  • Medical staff isolation or cover gowns
  • Medical staplers for external use
  • Medical syringes with needle
  • Medical tuning forks
  • Medical ultrasound or doppler or echocardiograph transducer
  • Medical ultrasound or doppler or echocardiograph transducer accessories
  • Medication or pill dispensers
  • Microscope slides
  • Mobile medical services automated external defibrillators AED or hard paddles
  • Mobile medical services spine boards
  • Multiparameter vital sign units
  • Nasal exam specula or dilators
  • Nasogastric tubes
  • Nasopharyngeal tubes or airways
  • Nebulizers
  • Non invasive bi level machines
  • Notebook computers
  • Ophthalmic irrigation or aspiration supplies
  • Ophthalmic slit lamps
  • Ophthalmic tonometers
  • Ophthalmoscopes or otoscopes or scope sets
  • Orthopedic splint systems
  • Orthopedic traction hardware or weights
  • Ostomy appliances
  • Otological instruments
  • Oxygen concentrators
  • Patient care beds for specialty care
  • Patient floor scales
  • Patient shifting boards
  • Patient stabilization or fall prevention devices
  • Perfusion oxygen or hematocrit saturation monitors
  • Pericardiocentesis needles or kits
  • Pleural cavity drainage units or containers
  • Pulse oximeter units
  • Reflex hammers or mallets
  • Skin staple removers or kits
  • Specimen collection container
  • Spirometers
  • Surgical clamps or clips or forceps
  • Surgical drains or drain sets
  • Surgical irrigation sets
  • Surgical isolation or surgical masks
  • Surgical scalpels or knives or blades or trephines
  • Surgical scissors
  • Surgical shave kits or prep razors or clippers
  • Suture removal kits or trays or packs or sets
  • Suturing kits or trays or packs or sets
  • Tablet computers
  • Tablet crushers
  • Therapeutic heating or cooling blankets or drapes
  • Thoracentesis sets or trays
  • Tongue depressors or blades or sticks
  • Tourniquets
  • Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation units
  • Ultraviolet UV lamps
  • Umbilical catheters
  • Urinalysis analyzers
  • Urinalysis test strips
  • Urinary catheterization kits
  • Vacuum blood collection tubes or containers
  • Vaginal exam speculas
  • Vascular or compression apparel or support
  • Walkers or rollators
  • Wheelchairs

Technology

  • Electronic mail software
  • Information retrieval or search software
  • Internet browser software
  • Medical software
  • Office suite software
  • Presentation software
  • Spreadsheet software
  • Word processing software

Tags

  • InDemand occupations are considered a priority by the state of Ohio.
Need help on researching occupations and careers? Download the Guide to Researching Occupations (PDF).

Need help on how to research education and training programs? Download the Guide to Higher Education (PDF).

Budget Calculator

Answer a few questions to determine your target salary. Use this target salary to help choose the right occupation for you.

Lifestyle Calculator

Answer a few questions to determine your target salary. Use this target salary to help choose the right occupation for you.

Workforce Supply Tool

The Workforce Supply Tool provides statistics for the occupations in highest demand throughout Ohio.

You can view statewide statistics as well as more region specific information.

Visit Site
Powered By:
Powered By: