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Clinical nurse specialist skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted experts
Cinthya Sotelo,
Samantha Hickson
Clinical nurse specialist example skills
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical clinical nurse specialist skills. We ranked the top skills for clinical nurse specialists based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 20.7% of clinical nurse specialist resumes contained patients as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a clinical nurse specialist needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 clinical nurse specialist skills for your resume and career

1. Patients

Here's how clinical nurse specialists use patients:
  • Interviewed staff, recommended hiring, provided direct supervision, initiated disciplinary actions, and ensured quality care for veteran patients.
  • Rotated through twenty outpatient departments and administered comprehensive nursing care to a large variety of patients with medical conditions.

2. BLS

Here's how clinical nurse specialists use bls:
  • Provided education facility wide to include BLS and other required education such as JCAHO readiness and Patient Safety Goals.
  • Teach certification courses to nursing and medical staff, including ACLS, BLS, and Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump.

3. Clinical Practice

Here's how clinical nurse specialists use clinical practice:
  • Updated process measure definitions and developed data dictionary for team utilizing current AHA/ASA clinical practice guidelines.
  • Monitored clinical practices for compliance and shared observations with appropriate level management.

4. CNS

Here's how clinical nurse specialists use cns:
  • Developed/Implemented CNS role to Swedish Covenant Hospital Developed/Implemented Surgical Services Competency Program Developed/Implemented Surgical Services Policy/Procedure Manual
  • Developed/Implemented CNS role at Holy Family Hospital Developed Surgical Services Competency Program Developed/Revised Surgical Services Policy/Procedure Manual

5. Professional Development

Professional development means to have the essential training certification or education with the purpose of earning and having a successful career. Every job requires a different set of skills. However, new skills may be needed in the future. Professional development, in this regard, helps people to develop and polish the skills and become efficient workers.

Here's how clinical nurse specialists use professional development:
  • Identified need for, developed, presented, coordinated educational programs for professional development of licensed nursing staff.
  • Led initiatives to foster the development of competency based nursing education and professional development programs.

6. Patient Outcomes

Here's how clinical nurse specialists use patient outcomes:
  • Developed and revised hospital policies/procedures, protocols, guidelines, and care delivery improving patient outcomes and quality care.
  • Participated in case consultations with a multidisciplinary team to improve patient outcomes.

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7. Acls

Here's how clinical nurse specialists use acls:
  • Certified in NRP, ALSO, STABLE, ACLS, Intermediate fetal monitoring.
  • Expanded annual staff check offs to include all med/surg units and most specialty units - Invited to be ACLS instructor.

8. Oncology

Oncology is defined as the facet of medicine that deals with cancer. Oncology also deals with the prevention and diagnosis of these diseases. A medical professional who has studied the discipline of oncology is referred to as an ‘oncologist'. An oncologist can further specialize in their discipline and become a medical oncologist, surgical oncologist, or radiation oncologist.

Here's how clinical nurse specialists use oncology:
  • Mentor to six clinical nurse leader students* Preparation for ASCO accreditation survey that included oncology policy, procedure and competency revisions.
  • Collaborate with Medical Oncologist and Medical Oncology Director to provide high-level standards of nursing practice for oncology service line employees.

9. Social Work

Here's how clinical nurse specialists use social work:
  • Coordinated ongoing process improvements and program development with managers, physicians, social workers/case managers and staff.
  • Educate patients on nutrition and care management of chronic conditions and issue referrals to social worker and HIV-related specialty care.

10. Acute Care

The branch of secondary healthcare which is responsible for giving short-term care to patients recovering from severe injuries or urgent medical problems is known as acute care. Acute care comprises multiple domains like; emergency care, urgent care, short-term stabilization, pre-hospital care, critical care, and trauma care.

Here's how clinical nurse specialists use acute care:
  • Provided clinical management of acute care adult orthopedic patients, including ore-operative education, and coordination of patient care during hospitalization.
  • Provided quality improvement and utilization reviews for Mental Health within Managed Care and Acute Care Facilities.

11. Critical Care

Here's how clinical nurse specialists use critical care:
  • Use clinical expertise effectively to plan, implement and evaluate interventions appropriate to complex critical care patient populations.
  • Developed education for staff around critical care management including pulmonary complications, cardiac patients, general surgery.

12. Educational Programs

An educational program is a program primarily concerned with the provision of education, including but not limited to early childhood education, primary and secondary education, post-secondary education, special education, vocational training, career and technical education, education for adults, and any program managed by an educational agency or institution.

Here's how clinical nurse specialists use educational programs:
  • Developed patient instructional materials and conducted community-based educational programs.
  • Develop and conduct educational programs and research to facilitate the delivery of quality patient care.

13. Home Health

Here's how clinical nurse specialists use home health:
  • Coordinated home health therapy to include IV infusions and arranged for specialized equipment and mobility devices.
  • Developed/revised home health policies and procedures.

14. Quality Care

Here's how clinical nurse specialists use quality care:
  • Designed, coordinated, facilitated and evaluated research regarding quality care and performance improvement projects.
  • Maintained quality care within long-term facility and critical acute hospital environments

15. Performance Improvement

Performance improvement means an overall improvement of a business process to accomplish and achieve enhancement of the efficiency of the function/process, and to make it more profitable and economical, while the stated goals or objectives are accurately achieved and in a cost and time-efficient manner. Performance improvements can occur at several levels, including the employee level, the team level, the department or unit level, and the organization as a whole.

Here's how clinical nurse specialists use performance improvement:
  • Collaborated with the multidisciplinary team in developing and implementing Quality Performance Improvement Programs for safe and supportive patient care.
  • Provide management and coordination of an integrated Quality Assessment Performance Improvement, Risk Management and Corporate Compliance Programs.
top-skills

What skills help Clinical Nurse Specialists find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on clinical nurse specialist resumes?

Cinthya Sotelo

Director of NP Programs, FNP Option Coordinator, California State University

Prior experience with patients, such as nursing assistant, EMT, etc. It is important for new graduate nurses to place the number of clinical hours on their resume to show what experiences they had during nursing school. Being bilingual will also stand out on a resume.

What clinical nurse specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Samantha Hickson

Professor of Practice, Morgan State University Department of Nursing, Morgan State University

Be open to the endless possibilities and always remain look for opportunities to learn.
Learning does not end with nursing school. In fact, nursing school is only the beginning
of a career of lifelong learning. Therefore, as a new graduate nurse it is easy to quickly
feel like you do not know enough. Be willing to ask for help, learn, research, take your
time, and lean on others for support. The world of nursing has no boundaries and there
will always be something new to learn and add to your repertoire.

What hard/technical skills are most important for clinical nurse specialists?

Dr. Catherine Stubin Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Rutgers University - Camden

Nursing is a complex profession that requires continuous interaction with a variety of individuals in a high-stress environment. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased nurses' psychological distress, which could leave the U.S. with an unstable nurse workforce in years to come.
Priority consideration must be given to the psychosocial needs of nurses, as preparing nurses to persevere through adversities is essential for maintaining their physical, mental, and emotional health throughout their careers. We need skilled, caring, competent nurses who can cope with the physical and psychological demands of the nursing profession. Resilience is a core value and fundamental theme that must be addressed in the nursing workforce. Research demonstrates that there is a correlation between a healthcare professional's resilience and well-being in the workplace. Access to or engagement with social resources can activate self-care and resilient attributes, and resilience training can positively impact nurse stress, mindfulness, and resilience. Resilient nurses can better manage their response to stress and adversity, which will contribute to patient safety and promote positive patient outcomes.
Do you want to know more?
Read more about what experts have to say about clinical nurse specialist

List of clinical nurse specialist skills to add to your resume

Clinical nurse specialist skills

The most important skills for a clinical nurse specialist resume and required skills for a clinical nurse specialist to have include:

  • Patients
  • BLS
  • Clinical Practice
  • CNS
  • Professional Development
  • Patient Outcomes
  • Acls
  • Oncology
  • Social Work
  • Acute Care
  • Critical Care
  • Educational Programs
  • Home Health
  • Quality Care
  • Performance Improvement
  • Patient Safety
  • Surgery
  • Patient Education
  • Advanced Life Support
  • Program Development
  • Direct Patient Care
  • Mental Health
  • Rehabilitation
  • Primary Care
  • Compassion
  • Staff Education
  • Infection Control
  • PET
  • ICU
  • Excellent Interpersonal
  • Staff Development
  • Medicaid
  • IV
  • Diabetes
  • Clinical Support
  • Discharge Planning
  • Family Education
  • CMS
  • Staff Nurses
  • Data Collection
  • Informed Consent
  • Resuscitation
  • Palliative Care
  • Telemetry
  • Chemotherapy
  • Catheter
  • Clinical Issues

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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