City and County of San Francisco

Clinical Nurse Specialist (#2323)

$84.31-$119.33 Hourly / $14,614.00-$20,683.00 Monthly / $175,370.00-$248,196.00 Yearly


Definition

Under general medical and nursing direction ‘ performs specialized clinical nursing duties in hospitals, clinics, health centers, and individual homes, as part of a clinical team, manages the nursing care of a selected group of patients; provides education, training, information and consultation services to registered nurses, public health nurses, and others in the area of specialty, which may include Psychiatric Nursing, Maternal Nursing, Pediatric Nursing, Medical Nursing, Surgical Nursing, Public Health Nursing, or others; and performs related duties as required.

Requires responsibility for: Developing, interpreting, coordinating and implementing new and existing policies, methods and procedures for nursing care in a specialized area; interpreting specific areas of staff and patient need in specialized nursing programs; keeping informed of current practices and trends in the specialty area and incorporating them into practice; working in cooperation with other members of a multidisciplinary health team, making professional contacts with a variety of public and private agencies and with members of the community.

Distinguishing Features

Class 2323 Clinical Nurse Specialist differs from other classes in the nursing series in that this class requires intensive specialized education and experience which is utilized in direct patient care, as well as in staff and patient instruction, clinical supervision, and consultation services. Unlike the traditional nursing assignment to a particular ward or unit for a specified shift, the Clinical Nurse Specialist’s responsibility is to individual patients for management of 24hour nursing care through all phases of their treatment in various health facilities. While direct supervision may be given to professional and non-professional nursing personnel in the clinical setting, desired nursing goals are achieved in cooperation with class 2322 Head Nurse in institutional settings, and with class 2832 Supervising Public Health Nurse in public health settings.

Examples of Important and Essential Duties

According to Civil Service Commission Rule 109, the duties specified below are representative of the range of duties assigned to this job code/class and are not intended to be an inclusive list.

  1. Evaluates individual nursing care needs of selected patients in the area of specialty; determines what types of nursing care would best meet those needs; designs a program of nursing care for each patient and works out practical methods of implementing this care after staff consultation and discussion; participates in the formulation of discharge plans; making provision for any necessary post discharge nursing care.
  2. Provides direct nursing care to individuals or groups of patients where in-depth or specialized nursing care is required; in the psychiatric specialty leads in individual and group therapy sessions.
  3. Gives professional advice and consultation services to registered nurses and public health nurses in specialized nursing care; defines objectives and principles of nursing in the area of specialty and assists nurses in developing their professional skills; may provide clinical supervision and education to professional and non-professional nursing staff.
  4. Participates in formulating standards, policies and procedures for the specialized nursing plan, and relates it to other disciplines within the total treatment program; as well as to other health organizations and to the community.
  5. Facilitates, directs, and in some instances initiates referrals of patients and families to appropriate professional personnel and community resources.
  6. Participates in clinical investigations and studies in the area of nursing specialty.
  7. In public health nursing, is responsible for on-going comprehensive study of needs for nursing and health care services in the community and assists with designing and implementing plans for meeting such needs.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Knowledge of: Principles, practices and objectives of modern nursing, especially as applied to the area of nursing specialty.

Ability and Skill to: Understand the impact of social-psychological stress on individuals and communities; work as part of a multidisciplinary health team; inform and motivate other members of such a team; design and implement new or revised nursing techniques as required to meet specific needs encountered in nursing practice; continue to seek professional development and to assist other members of the team in developing their own professional skills in the area of specialty.

Minimum Qualifications

These minimum qualifications establish the education, training, experience, special skills and/or license(s) which are required for employment in the classification.  Please note, additional qualifications (i.e., special conditions) may apply to a particular position and will be stated on the exam/job announcement.

Education:

Possession of a Master’s Degree in Nursing from an accredited college or university.

Experience:

 

License and Certification:

Registered Nurse License: Possession of a valid California Registered Nurse (RN) license issued by the California Board of Registered Nursing; AND

Clinical Nurse Specialist Certificate: Possession of a valid Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) certificate issued by the California Board of Registered Nursing.

Substitution:

 

 

Notes

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

ORIGINATION DATE:

AMENDED DATE: 12/14/2015

REASON FOR AMENDMENT: To accurately reflect the current tasks, knowledge, skills and abilities defined in the most recent job analysis conducted for this job code.

BUSINESS UNIT(S): COMMN

Disaster Service Workers

All City and County of San Francisco employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law (California Government Code Section 3100-3109). Employment with the City requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned, and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

CLASS: 2323; EST: 1/1/1900; REV: 12/14/2015;