Over 200 graduate nursing schools across the U.S. and Puerto Rico offer CNS programs and confer either a doctorate (DNP) or master’s (MSN) degree. Students complete these programs in two to three years, depending on whether they attend full-time or part-time. CNS curricula consist of both didactic and clinical training. Regarding admission requirements, most nursing schools require applicants to have a current registered nursing license, a bachelor’s degree in nursing, satisfactory Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) scores, letters of reference and a personal/goal statement. Direct-entry master’s programs exist for applicants with non-nursing bachelor’s degrees, and these typically have more stringent admission requirements. Some nursing schools have longer programs for registered nurses with associate degrees that allow them to obtain both a bachelor’s and master’s degrees over their course of study.
CNS students have several specialties to choose from, depending on what their chosen school offers. Examples include cardiology, diabetes, pediatrics, adult health, public health, oncology and mental health/psychology. However, not every specialty has a required certification exam. The American Nurses Credentialing Center offers certification exams in nine specialties, the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation provides oncology certification and the American Association of Critical Care Nurses administers a certification exam for critical care nurse specialists.
Upon graduation and certification, a clinical nurse specialist may continue to provide care as a bedside nurse in specialized hospital units and clinics. A CNS can take patient care one step further by diagnosing, managing and treating illnesses specific to her specialty. Additionally, a CNS can assume the role of a case manager for an entire floor of patients, an expert consultant for other health care providers or an educator for registered nurses who work alongside her. With her master’s or doctorate degree, a CNS may also work as a professor in nursing schools.
With enhanced knowledge and skills, clinical nurse specialists have increased employment opportunities in clinical, educational and administrative settings. Their advanced skill sets also increase their earning power; as of February 2011, the salary for a CNS varies from between $65,800 to $85,400 annually. A master’s or doctorate agree also allows them to pursue further education, such as a research-based nursing degree (Ph.D.), for tenured faculty positions at academic and medical institutions.