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Nurse practitioner vs clinical nurse specialist

The differences between nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a nurse practitioner, becoming a clinical nurse specialist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a nurse practitioner has an average salary of $100,033, which is higher than the $77,086 average annual salary of a clinical nurse specialist.

The top three skills for a nurse practitioner include patients, diagnosis and home health. The most important skills for a clinical nurse specialist are patients, BLS, and clinical practice.

Nurse practitioner vs clinical nurse specialist overview

Nurse PractitionerClinical Nurse Specialist
Yearly salary$100,033$77,086
Hourly rate$48.09$37.06
Growth rate40%6%
Number of jobs27,912268,303
Job satisfaction2.67-
Most common degreeMaster's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age4344
Years of experience24

What does a nurse practitioner do?

A nurse practitioner's role is diverse. It revolves around supervising nurses in a particular area and providing immediate care and treatment to patients through extensive knowledge and clinical experience. Among the duties of a nurse practitioner involves diagnosing and treating medical conditions, performing research and analysis through various tests, evaluating data and results, operating different kinds of medical equipment, and gathering samples from patients. Furthermore, a nurse practitioner must maintain an active line of communication and coordination among fellow health workers in a hospital or clinic.

What does a clinical nurse specialist do?

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.

Nurse practitioner vs clinical nurse specialist salary

Nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Nurse PractitionerClinical Nurse Specialist
Average salary$100,033$77,086
Salary rangeBetween $62,000 And $161,000Between $54,000 And $109,000
Highest paying CityRichmond, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyPace UniversityMayo Clinic
Best paying industry-Government

Differences between nurse practitioner and clinical nurse specialist education

There are a few differences between a nurse practitioner and a clinical nurse specialist in terms of educational background:

Nurse PractitionerClinical Nurse Specialist
Most common degreeMaster's Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Nurse practitioner vs clinical nurse specialist demographics

Here are the differences between nurse practitioners' and clinical nurse specialists' demographics:

Nurse PractitionerClinical Nurse Specialist
Average age4344
Gender ratioMale, 13.1% Female, 86.9%Male, 9.9% Female, 90.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 6.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 77.5% 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 Percentage12%9%

Differences between nurse practitioner and clinical nurse specialist duties and responsibilities

Nurse practitioner example responsibilities.

  • Manage care of chronic pediatric patients in PICU.
  • Assess, diagnose and medically manage patients with various GI diseases and dysfunctions
  • Manage medical illnesses including diabetes, hypertension, thyroid conditions and asthma and other medical conditions.
  • Manage pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment of diabetes and provide prescriptions and education before discharge from the hospital.
  • Manage appropriate changes to individualize care plan to ensure cost and time efficacy in an outpatient physical medicine and rehabilitation office.
  • Document correctly the patients' information in electronic health record and observe HIPAA.
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Clinical nurse specialist example responsibilities.

  • Manage chronic conditions (CHF, COPD, DM, ESRD) in a medically complex patient population.
  • Supervise and manage hypertension clinic.
  • Manage continuity of care for complex general internal patients with limit resources-diabetes, hypertension, psychiatric, and homeless.
  • Consult and follow patients in the ICU, emergency room, on the floor, and in clinic.
  • Coordinate care of vascular patients from preoperative throughout hospital stay, assess home care needs and rehabilitation placement.
  • Interview staff, recommend hiring, provide direct supervision, initiate disciplinary actions, and ensure quality care for veteran patients.
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Nurse practitioner vs clinical nurse specialist skills

Common nurse practitioner skills
  • Patients, 29%
  • Diagnosis, 7%
  • Home Health, 5%
  • Diagnostic Tests, 5%
  • Acute Care, 3%
  • EMR, 3%
Common clinical nurse specialist skills
  • Patients, 21%
  • BLS, 8%
  • Clinical Practice, 7%
  • CNS, 6%
  • Professional Development, 4%
  • Patient Outcomes, 4%

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