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The differences between clinical instructors and clinical nurse specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a clinical instructor and a clinical nurse specialist. Additionally, a clinical instructor has an average salary of $84,613, which is higher than the $77,086 average annual salary of a clinical nurse specialist.
The top three skills for a clinical instructor include patients, direct patient care and clinical practice. The most important skills for a clinical nurse specialist are patients, BLS, and clinical practice.
| Clinical Instructor | Clinical Nurse Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $84,613 | $77,086 |
| Hourly rate | $40.68 | $37.06 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 87,152 | 268,303 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A clinical instructor is responsible for instructing and evaluating the clinical training of health sciences students. Clinical instructors identify each student's potential and areas of improvement to adjust the teaching approach as needed. They conduct lectures and training in the classroom and health care facilities, testing the students' knowledge by performing actual clinical duties and medical procedures under their supervision. A clinical instructor monitors students' progress, creating comprehensive strategies to enhance interactive learning. A clinical instructor must have extensive knowledge of the medical industry, as well as excellent communication skills to respond to the students' inquiries and concerns during training.
Clinical nurse specialists (CNS) serve as experts in practicing nursing based on evidence in one or more specialty areas. These nurses use their advanced knowledge and experience in assessing, diagnosing, and treating patients. CNS is known to be called nurse educators for being assigned to conduct lectures in educational institutions due to their extensive effort to improve their craft. Additionally, their experience and expertise in a certain medical specialty qualify them to do case research.
Clinical instructors and clinical nurse specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Instructor | Clinical Nurse Specialist | |
| Average salary | $84,613 | $77,086 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $155,000 | Between $54,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | OhioHealth | Mayo Clinic |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Government |
There are a few differences between a clinical instructor and a clinical nurse specialist in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Instructor | Clinical Nurse Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Nursing |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between clinical instructors' and clinical nurse specialists' demographics:
| Clinical Instructor | Clinical Nurse Specialist | |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.9% Female, 74.1% | Male, 9.9% Female, 90.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 11.3% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 8.9% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 9% |