Clinical Nurse Specialist Programs Texas

Old Dominion University: Online Msn

Old Dominion Universitys online MSN-CNS and Nurse Educator program in Adult-Gerontology is designed to train expert clinicians ready to conduct research, nursing interventions, and effective teaching strategies. Students can choose between a general or clinical adult-gerontology tracks. Old Dominion Universitys online CNS students may be required to visit its campus in Norfolk, VA for training or testing, usually no more than once or twice a year. Students take all remaining classes online. The programs varied curriculum addresses advanced nursing theory, research, and teaching.

Cost: $496 per credit-hour for Virginia residents $538 per hour for nonresidents

Online Clinical Nurse Leader Programs

With technology playing a bigger role in higher education these days, it’s no surprise that online clinical nurse leader programs are rising in popularity. Nurses who want to enter advanced practice are typically busy and may have work or family obligations that make completing a traditional classroom program impossible. Luckily, there are a variety of reputable online options available.

Choosing A Great Clinical Nurse Specialist School

The clinical nurse specialist program you select can have a big impact on your future. That’s why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Clinical Nurse Specialist rankings. We derive our Best Overall Clinical Nurse Specialist School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

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The Clinical Scholarship Portfolio

The Clinical Scholarship Portfolio is a collection of required components demonstrating a students clinical scholarship practicing at the highest level of advanced practice. It provides evidence of competency in all domains of DNP practice. The CSP includes a major DNP Project, comprehensive cases studies, and other examples of scholarly work related to the competencies outlined in the American Association of College of Nursing Essentials.

What Skills Does A Clinical Nurse Leader Need

There are certain skills that current and prospective clinical nurse leaders needs for success within the role. Some examples of critical skills include:

• Analytical. Clinical nurse leaders will need to analyze various processes and patient outcomes to determine what areas need to be addressed.
• Leadership. Clinical nurse leaders help direct/manage other nurses, so it is important to be comfortable giving direction and being in a position of authority.
• Educational. Clinical nurse leaders often have educational aspects to their roles, so you must be comfortable developing curriculum and facilitating training.
• Collaboration. Clinical nurse leaders generally work with a number of different healthcare workers and other nurses. It can be hard to analyze everything with a granular view of the day-to-day, so it is important to have good collaboration and communication skills to ensure that you get insight into any issues that need to be addressed.

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Applying To An Online Clinical Nurse Specialist Program

Before applying to an online CNS program, students should review the admission requirements to determine if they meet the prerequisites. They can then decide if a program is appropriate for them and their academic and professional background.

To gain admittance into either a master of science in nursing or doctor in nursing practice program, prospective CNSs must meet the following requirements.

• Admission Requirements: BSN from an accredited institution , transcripts from previous academic programs, National Council Licensure Examination for RNs exam scores, resume outlining professional nursing experience, and letters of recommendation
• GPA Requirements: 3.0 or higher
• Other Requirements: A valid, unencumbered RN license

Rn To Msn Cns: Admissions

RN to MSN Clinical Nurse Specialist programs tend have the same general prerequisites as NP programs. In other words, universities want to see:

• A diploma or associateâs degree in nursing
• A current RN license
• At least one year of RN clinical experience
• A baseline undergraduate GPA
• Letters of professional reference

When it comes to the clinical experience requirement, schools are often looking for RNs who are dedicated to their specialty. For example, if youâre interested in acute care CNS programs, you may be expected to have a foundation of 1-2 years in recent acute care practice before you can take the clinical rotations. If you want to apply for neonatal CNS programs, you may need some RN time in the NICU.

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Clinical Nurse Specialist Scope Of Practice

Clinical nurse specialists work within a specialty area defined by various parameters. They may work with a specific population such as adults or children, a specific setting such as the emergency room, or a certain health specialty such as pain, cardiovascular, oncology and gynecology. Their expertise within their specialty area allows them to be good consultants and coaches to other staff members.

Clinical Nurse Leader Faqs

How much do clinical nurse leaders make?

According to recent surveys, clinical nurses average salary is $104,169 with a low end of $83454 and a high end of $104,169.

What is the difference between a clinical nurse specialist and a clinical nurse leader?

The difference between a CNL and CNS is that a CNL provides clinical care to patients in addition to supervising their care. In many states, a CNS also has diagnostic authority and often oversees facility systems, team structure, and acts as a point of contact for patients.

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What Skills Do You Need To Be A Clinical Nurse Specialist

The most crucial skill for a CNS is their understanding of advanced nursing practices within their specialty. A successful CNS also benefits from various soft skills for nurses, including communication, critical thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving.

These qualities can help nurses thrive within their chosen healthcare settings.

What Do You Learn In A Cns Degree Program

Every online clinical nurse specialist program will look different depending on the goals and outcomes set by individual departments and colleges. That being said, many should offer courses and topics that overlap with other programs. When looking at curricula and learning outcomes, identify that those most closely match your career goals and discipline interests. The following section takes a look at what you can expect to learn and highlights a few common topics.

• Learning Outcome #1Possess the skills and training needed to facilitate care to individuals across the lifespan, with special emphasis on populations their specialty training focuses on.
• Learning Outcome #2An appreciation for and active participation in research that helps move the discipline forward, including staying abreast of emerging research and findings.
• Learning Outcome #3Development of the leadership skills needed to act as a change agent and leader in their healthcare facilities, including supporting diversity measures and best practices.
• Learning Outcome #4A full and comprehensive understanding of the legal, ethical, and regulatory measures in place that govern how they do their job and provide patient care.
• Learning Outcome #5The ability to contribute knowledge and skills as part of a multidisciplinary team focused on overall wellness, disease and illness management, and compassionate end-of-life care.

Common Courses

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Kent State University: Online Msn

Kent State Universitys online CNS program in Adult-Gerontology is ideal for RNs who want to care specifically for adults throughout the lifespan. This program accepts students in the fall or spring. According to KSU, the programs curriculum is designed to cultivate advanced nursing skills in direct patient care, leadership, research, consultation, and ethical decision-making across the continuum of health and disease. Students can complete the 38-unit program fully online on a part- or full-time basis. Among the Universitys required AG-CNS courses are Advanced Nursing Informatics, Methods of Inquiry, Clinical Diagnostics for Advanced Practice Nurses, and a practicum, which students can complete in their home communities. Please note that Kent State also offers an online BSN-to-DNP pathway, which comprises 74 credits and starts in the fall.

Cost: $451.30 per credit-hour for Ohio residents, $461.30 for nonresidents

NurseJournal.org is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

What Is A Clinical Nurse Specialist

A clinical nurse specialist is a graduate-level registered nurse who is certified in a specialty of choice. Obtaining specialty certification demonstrates an advanced level of knowledge as well as advanced clinical skills in a niche area of nursing.

There are differences between a nurse practitioner and CNS. While both are advanced-practice registered nurses, their roles are different.

Nurse Practitioners:

• Diagnose, treat, and manage chronic and acute illnesses
• Often act a primary care provider
• Prescribe medications

Clinical nurse specialists have a different scope of practice. They can prescribe medications if they apply for authority to do so, but this is not always required in their practice. They usually focus on education, research, and consulting.

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No need to wait for spring or fall semester. It’s back-to-school time at WGU year-round. Get started by talking to an Enrollment Counselor today, and you’ll be on your way to realizing your dream of a bachelor’s or master’s degreesooner than you might think!

What Are The Admissions And Certification Requirements

Admissions requirements for most CNL programs include:

• BSN from an accredited school
• Minimum GPA of 3.0
• Transcripts from all colleges/universities attended
• Two professional letters of reference
• Copy of current U.S. RN license

Certification as a clinical nurse leader can be obtained through the Association of American Colleges of Nursing and has the following requirements:

• Must be licensed as a registered nurse
• Must have graduated from a Master’s or post-masters CNL program

Certification is awarded upon successful completion of the CNL examination. Students in their last term of a CNL education program are eligible to sit for the exam.

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Online Clinical Nurse Specialist Program Rankings

Aspiring clinical nurse specialists should enroll in educational programs accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education . Universities throughout the country are now offering online CNS programs, all at the graduate level.

These distance-based education programs are usually entirely online, with practicums local to the student or primarily online with minimal campus visits required. The top online clinical nurse specialist programs listed here are ranked by cost, admissions flexibility, and program variety.

Our database contains 1,008 online APRN programs at the MSN, DNP, and post-masters certificate levels for the 2022-2023 school year. For our purposes, a program must require no more than nine total campus visits to qualify for our rankings.

At NPSchools.com, we aim to maintain a comprehensive listing of online APRN programs that meet our criteria, and we seek to ensure the accuracy of all of the data on our website. That said, advanced nursing education is a dynamic space. Should you find an error or a missing program, please contact us to bring it to our attention.

Are Cns Careers In High Demand

Data from O*NET Online projects that roles for clinical nurse specialists should grow much faster than the average for all occupations at 11% or more. This growth is expected to lead to the creation of more than 210,000 new CNS positions between 2018-2028.

Reasons for this growth include the ability of APRNs to perform some tasks previously done by doctors, a greater emphasis on preventative healthcare, and the retirement of existing CNS professionals.

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Best Clinical Nurse Specialist Schools In Texas

College Factual looked at 2 colleges and universities when compiling its 2023 Best Clinical Nurse Specialist Schools in Texas ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 32 degrees in clinical nurse specialist during the 2020-2021 academic year.

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Clinical Nurse Specialist Schools in Texas list to help you make the college decision.More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you.Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Rn To Msn Cns: Overview

RN to MSN CNS programs are designed for working RNs who have a diploma or an associateâs degree and want to pursue an MSN or MS to become a clinical nurse specialist. In addition, there are a few RN to MSN CNS programs for RNs with a bachelorâs degree in a field other than nursing.

Our directory includes RN to MSN CNS programs in:

• CNS Specialty/Population Focus: Most RN to MSN CNS programs in our directory focus on adult gerontology, but we do have a few pediatric options. In addition, the National Association of Neonatal Nurses has a list of Neonatal CNS graduate programs. CNS programs for other fields have practically disappeared.
• Acute Care Adult Gerontology: If you favor hospital-based adult care, this is a CNS program worth considering. The curriculum for these RN to MSN CNS programs should match the standards for both Adult Gerontology CNS certifications.
• Sub-Specialty: You will also see a few Adult Gerontology RN to MSN CNS programs that allow you to choose a sub-specialty . Oncology is always a popular option. Check the requirementsâsome schools may expect you to have a BSN or significant RN work experience.

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Can You Earn A Cns Degree Completely Online

With todays advanced technology, many colleges of nursing now provide CNS programs that allow for all coursework to be done fully online. Students must still complete clinical practicum requirements, but these can usually be done near their homes. Some programs require students to participate in campus-based intensives, so ask administrators about this before enrolling.

Sacred Heart University Fairfield Connecticut

MSN Clinical Nurse Leader Online

Student to Faculty Ratio: 14:1 Points: 3The top online CNL program at Sacred Heart University features a leading Clinical Nurse Leader MSN program that prepares students to become leaders in health care delivery. Courses are offered in a convenient asynchronous format, allowing students 24/7 access to course content. Classes are eight weeks long and most students can complete the program in two years. Students complete core coursework in areas like:

• healthcare policy and ethics
• comprehensive health assessment methods
• care management

Clinical Nurse Leader students complete a 348 clock hour role immersion experience that prepares them to sit for the AACN CNL certification exam.

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The Dnp Program At A Glance

• Admit Terms: Spring and Fall
• Enrollment Level: Part-time complete in seven semesters
• Estimated Total Costs: $16,536

Applications to the DNP Post-Masters program must be completed and processed through NursingCAS . NursingCAS online application streamlines the admission process for prospective students by providing a singular location for all required information and documents.

Earn your degree in Houstons top-ranked Doctor of Nursing Practice program, according to U.S. News and World Report. Our practice doctorate prepares clinical scholars for leadership and innovative, evidence-based patient care in nursing and health care delivery.

The DNP program is the highest ranked in Texas and was the first DNP program created in the state. The campus is located in the Texas Medical Center where student enjoy the resources of a distinguished academic health science center within the worlds largest medical center.

Queens University Charlotte North Carolina

Online MSN Clinical Nurse Leader Specialization

Student to Faculty Ratio: 10:1 Points: 6The top MSN online Clinical Nurse Leader specialization at Queens University is designed for students who want to stand out as leaders in their organization and improve the health and safety of patients. The program is taught by faculty who are passionate about their field and motivated to see their students succeed. Courses are offered in a convenient online format, covering areas like:

• Management of Clinical Outcomes
• Management of the Care Environment
• Leadership Principles and Practices

All students complete a 300 clock hour clinical nursing residency in their own community to demonstrate leadership by managing the care environment and patient outcomes. Students also complete a capstone project, conducting a scholarly evidence-based nursing project.

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Clinical Nurse Specialist Faqs

What Types of Medical Professionals Do Clinical Nurse Specialists Interact with or Work Alongside?

A CNS can work with a variety of professionals, and it depends on where they work. In the hospital setting, for example, a CNS can interact with those involved with direct patient care such as:

• Nurse assistants
• Respiratory therapists
• Physical Therapists

Licensing Board And Data Source

Board of Nursing – The BON adopts rules to regulate persons wishing to practice as Advanced Practice Registered Nurses in Texas.

Information regarding the education requirements, licensure requirements, and responsibilities of Registered Nurses and APRNs can be found on the website of the Board of Nursing.

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