How to become a clinical nurse specialist

Are you a registered nurse who is passionate about patient care? Becoming a clinical nurse specialist (CNS) may be the perfect next step in your nursing career.

A clinical nurse specialist is an in-demand clinical leadership role where you can make a real difference for patients. It’s also a leadership position where you have the potential to earn more and take on more advanced practice in your nursing. 

But what qualifications and skills does it take to enter this profession? Below, we’ll look at what a clinical nurse specialist does and how you can get the skills to take on this crucial nursing position and help shape patient outcomes. 

What does a clinical nurse specialist do?

A clinical nurse specialist is a nurse with a high level of clinical knowledge, experience and skills in a specific area of practice, defined population or service area.

Although clinical nurse roles can vary, these roles are all required to provide a high level of care, maintain a high level of clinical knowledge and skills, and actively pursue professional development.

Typically, a clinical nurse specialist starts their career as an enrolled or registered nurse but then studies postgraduate qualifications in advanced practice in an area of expertise.

Some examples of areas of expertise include:

• Aged care 
• Critical care and emergency
• Diabetes
• Disability and rehabilitation 
• Community Health
• Paediatrics 
• Surgical
• Perioperative

Clinical nurse specialists can work with minimal supervision and will spend some time mentoring more junior staff members. They’re dedicated to increasing their personal development and clinical knowledge. 

A clinical nurse specialist provides direct clinical care in their area of speciality, so may undertake the following tasks in a clinical setting:

• Provide high-level patient care
• Supervise and mentor junior staff
• Work with doctors and other healthcare professionals to develop treatment plans and make clinical recommendations
• Administer medication and treatments
• Perform advanced patient health assessment
• Develop nursing practices and procedures
• Create educational material and contribute to the development of clinical practice in the ward
• Consult with patients and their families on managing their condition
• Stay up to date on research, emergency medicines and treatment and translate this into clinical practice when needed

According to the Chief Nursing & Midwifery Officers Australia Advanced Nursing Practice - Guidelines for the Australian Context, specialist nurses follow and build on the base of generalist preparation. 

Nurse specialists showcase comprehensive knowledge, skills and expertise in their specialised nursing field. According to the guidelines, gaining proficiency in a specific specialty involves pursuing formal education, gaining relevant clinical experience and engaging in ongoing professional development.

What are some clinical practice skills you need to be a clinical nurse specialist?

Some in-demand skills of clinical nurse specialists include:

• Nursing practice skills: This is a clinical position, so clinical nurse specialists need to provide best practice treatments to their patients, analyse complex health problems, and provide a high level of clinical decision-making skills. 
• Interpersonal skills: Be able to work with patients and their families and place people at the centre of all decision-making. 
• Leadership skills: Clinical nurse specialists should mentor less experienced nurses and be positive role models.
• Professional development: clinical nurse specialist will focus on self-improvement and be able to apply this knowledge into practice.

What are the steps to become a clinical nurse specialist?

Typically, clinical nurse specialists will follow the steps below to enter this profession.

1. Complete a bachelor’s degree in nursing and register with AHPRA

To become a clinical nurse specialist, you need to start with a nursing degree at university. Once you’re finished studying, you apply for professional registration Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). 

To become a registered nurse through NMBA, you need to abide by their registration standards. These include:

• A criminal history check
• Being proficient in English language skills
• Having recent experience practising your profession to make sure your professional skills are current and up to date. You will need to provide evidence you have practised for a minimum of 450 hours within the past five years
• Professional indemnity insurance cover

If you have studied overseas, you will need to fulfil additional requirements to become registered, depending on where you studied and your experience. 

2. Gain clinical nursing practice experience

Once you’re a registered nurse, you need to spend a minimum of one year full time or the part-time equivalent providing direct patient care. 

This is important before you pursue postgraduate study, as critical thinking, complex decision-making, and autonomous practice are skills that only come with experience. 

It also gives you the opportunity to try various specialties of healthcare and understand which area suits you best.

3. Pursue a postgraduate degree

The next step to becoming a clinical nurse specialist is to do a postgraduate degree, such as a Master of Nursing, where you can specialise in Advanced Practice. 

Studying a Master of Nursing will provide you with hands-on practical and technical interpersonal management knowledge and skills, and specialising in an area like Advanced Practice can help you tailor your degree to your studies. 

In the Advanced Practice Major with JCU Online's Master of Nursing, you’ll gain the skills you need to deliver advanced patient care and improve patient outcomes. Topics covered include:

• Advanced health assessments: Develop effective history-taking, clinical interviewing, advanced physical assessment, and clinical documentation skills to deliver holistic person-centred care.
• Quality use of medicines: Understand how to reduce medication mishaps and learn more about applying concepts of drug interactions to understanding complex medication-related scenarios. 
• Applied health assessment and advanced practice: Build the knowledge and skills to identify deviations from normal health states. 
• Diagnostic reasoning: Understand more about the diagnostic reasoning and clinical decision-making processes needed to assess both acute and chronic patients. 

You’ll also explore broader health-related topics such as persuasive communication, research, how to interpret clinical data and practice development to help further your healthcare knowledge and progress your career.  

4. Apply for roles as a clinical nurse specialist

Once you’ve completed your qualifications, you can start applying for clinical nurse specialist positions. In interviews, be prepared to discuss your clinical experience, specialist knowledge and how you have demonstrated advanced practice skills. 

Demand for nurses in Australia continues to grow, particularly those who have additional qualifications and experience. 

Career prospects for clinical nurse specialists

The Healthcare and Social Assistance Sector is expected to expand dramatically in Australia, and nursing, particularly specialist nurses, is in high demand. According to the Australian Government’s Occupation Shortage List, there are shortages of registered nurses with specialist qualifications in most areas of Australia.  

There are many nursing role options for clinical nurse specialists, including: 

• Acute to aged-related care service where you’ll coordinate care for older patients with complex needs across acute and emergency settings.
• Family and child health community clinics where you’ll provide clinic-based services, home visits and facilitate group education and parent support programs.
• Critical care team where you are involved in patient-centred care for critically ill patients in the hospital.
• Mental health where you provide specialised care for people facing complex mental health challenges.
• Cancer care where you’ll use your advanced clinical skills to support patients and their families and mentor colleagues. 

As you progress through your career, you will have more opportunities to progress. Within a few years, it’s expected that you will be a leader in your area of expertise and provide specialist clinical practice across your health facility. You may provide primary case management of a complete episode of care and have extended decision-making autonomy. 

With your qualifications as a clinical nurse specialist, your career is just getting started.

Commonly asked questions

How long does it take to become a clinical nurse specialist in Australia?

Your pathway to becoming a clinical nurse specialist can vary in length. Typically, it will take at least five to six years, including your bachelor’s degree, gaining experience as a registered nurse and completing a relevant postgraduate qualification. 

Is becoming a clinical nurse specialist right for me?

There are growing opportunities for senior nurses and nurse leaders in Australia. If you enjoy the challenge of being a nurse and want to take your knowledge to the next level, being a clinical nurse specialist could be your next step. 

Being a clinical nurse specialist allows you to take on a leadership position within your area of speciality. You can take on more complex challenges and deliver better patient care. 

Take the next step in your nursing career

Gaining the enhanced skills and knowledge of a clinical nurse specialist can help you transform patient care and the industry for the better. 

Still wondering if becoming a clinical nurse specialist is for you? We can help. Our dedicated team of Student Enrolments Advisors is available to discuss your career goals and whether this course is right for you. 

Call 1300 535 919 to speak to one of our team today, and discover how JCU Online’s Master of Nursing can help you take your nursing career to the next level.