Certified Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) – Emergency Services

Cleveland Clinic Akron General is seeking a dedicated Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) to support the Emergency Medicine team across multiple locations. This role provides advanced clinical expertise, leadership, and education to promote high-quality patient care, nursing excellence, and evidence-based practice within the emergency department setting.

The Clinical Nurse Specialist will collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to improve patient outcomes, enhance nursing practice, and support clinical initiatives across several sites, including Akron General’s Level I Trauma Center as well as emergency departments in Stow, Bath, and Green .

Position Details

Schedule

Variable, Day shift, Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. with some evening and night shift coverage

Setting: Emergency Medicine

Locations Covered: Akron General Main Campus (Level I Trauma Center), Stow, Bath, and Green

Key Responsibilities

Serve as a clinical expert and resource for nursing staff within the emergency departments.

Promote and implement evidence-based practice to enhance patient care and clinical outcomes.

Lead and support quality improvement initiatives , patient safety efforts, and performance improvement projects.

Provide education, mentorship, and professional development opportunities for nursing staff.

Collaborate with physicians, nursing leadership, and interdisciplinary teams to optimize care delivery and operational efficiency.

Support the development and evaluation of clinical policies, procedures, and best practices in emergency care.

Ideal Candidate

Strong clinical expertise in emergency medicine setting

Excellent leadership, communication, and collaboration skills

Passion for improving nursing practice, patient outcomes, and staff development

Ability to work across multiple sites while fostering strong relationships with clinical teams

This position offers the opportunity to play a pivotal role in advancing emergency nursing practice while supporting a dynamic team dedicated to delivering exceptional patient care throughout the Cleveland Clinic Akron General system.

Job

Responsibilities

CLINICAL PRACTICE : Provide expert consultation and collaboration on care of high-risk patients and families within area of specialty

Provide direct and indirect nursing care to patients and families

Round with patients/nurses and interdisciplinary teams

Proactively monitor nursing practices and analyze data for trends

Write APRN progress notes and bill for patient services

Prescribe medications, therapies and devices as appropriate

Promote high-quality, safe, cost effective care

Lead and participate in quality improvement projects

Support accreditation and compliance activities

Represent nursing on department or hospital committee

Participate in evaluation of products and equipment relevant to nursing practice

Education

Responsible for dissemination of knowledge through instructing, leading and developing educational programs

Providing “just in time” teaching at the point of care

Develop / teach advanced and specialty classes for nurses and other healthcare professionals

Identify learning needs, develops, and implements programs for patient education

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Support professional development of clinical nurses and nursing practice:

Mentor nursing caregivers in career coaching and professional development

Support nursing shared governance teams and “champion” programs

Assist clinical nurses in poster/oral abstract development

Promote nursing certification

RESEARCH / EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE Promotes translation of evidence based practices:

Primary responsibility for writing / revising policies, procedures, and nursing protocols

Disseminate knowledge from research studies and guidelines

Standardize nursing practice across CCHS locations

Conduct nursing research

Present results of work at local, state, national, and / or international conferences

Submits work to peer-reviewed journals for publication

Nationally certified Advanced Practice Provider who provides primary and/or specialty care in a variety of healthcare settings. Functions in collaboration with the health care team in accordance with certification and licensure. Practice emphasizes health promotion, disease prevention and the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic health problems. Responsible for dissemination of knowledge through instructing, leading and developing educational programs.

Education

Aprn

Effective 05/01/2014: MSN required upon hire or within 3 years of hire for external hires and internal hires moving from a non-APRN licensed role to an APRN licensed role.

Graduate of an accredited APRN program.

If in neonatal care service area Master’s Degree is required upon hire.

Languages

Oral and written communication in English

Certifications

NP

Currently licensed as a Nurse Practitioner in applicable state(s).

Must be licensed as an RN in applicable state(s).

National certification as a Nurse Practitioner by nationally accredited organization recognized by state Board of Nursing.

Basic Life Support (BLS) through the American Heart Association (AHA) required.

Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) or Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) through the American Heart Association (AHA); or Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) through the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) may be required based upon work setting.

Must have arrangements with at least one physician in accordance with requirements set forth by the State Board of Nursing in applicable states.

Must be credentialed and privileged by the Medical Executive Committee and the Governing Body of the applicable hospitals.

Cns

Currently licensed as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in applicable state(s).

Must be licensed as an RN in applicable state(s).

National certification as a Clinical Nurse Specialist by nationally accredited organization recognized by state Board of Nursing.

Basic Life Support (BLS) through the American Heart Association (AHA) required.

Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) or Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) through the American Heart Association (AHA); or Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) through the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) may be required based upon work setting.

Must have arrangements with at least one physician in accordance with requirements set forth by the State Board of Nursing in applicable states.

Must be credentialed and privileged by the Medical Executive Committee and the Governing Body of the applicable hospitals

Certifications

Currently licensed as a Nurse Practitioner or Clinical Nurse Specialist in applicable state(s).

Must be licensed as an RN in applicable state(s).

National certification as a Clinical Nurse Specialist or Nurse Practitioner by nationally accredited organization recognized by state Board of Nursing.

Basic Life Support (BLS) through the American Heart Association (AHA) required.

Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) or Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) through the American Heart Association (AHA); or Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) through the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) may be required based upon work setting.

Must have arrangements with at least one physician in accordance with requirements set forth by the State Board of Nursing in applicable states.

Must be credentialed and privileged by the Medical Executive Committee and the Governing Body of the applicable hospitals.

Complexity of Work

Excellent analytical and decision-making skills are required.

Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Ability to work as a member of a multi-disciplinary team.

Demonstrated competency and the ability to perform advanced assessment and diagnosis.

Demonstrated ability to utilize the electronic medical record.

Demonstrates a high standard of moral and ethical behavior.

Demonstrates compassion and professionalism and a commitment to excellent patient care.

Requires critical thinking skills, decisive judgement, and the ability to work independently.

Must be able to work in a stressful environment and take appropriate action.

Work

Experience

Two years clinical nursing experience required.

Physical

Requirements

Typical physical demands include the ability to walk and stand for long periods of time.

Manual and finger dexterity and eye/hand coordination to perform physical examinations.

Requires corrected vision and hearing to a normal range.

Occasionally lifts and carries items weighing up to 50 pounds.

May require exposure to communicable diseases and/or body fluids.

Personal Protective Equipment

Follows standard precautions using personal protective equipment as required.

Pay Range

Minimum Annual Salary: $92,620.00 Maximum Annual Salary: $157,480.00

The pay range displayed on this job posting reflects the anticipated range for new hires. Actual compensation may be higher or lower than the standard range, depending on factors such as job responsibilities, relevant experience, skills, scheduling requirements, education, and area of licensure. Please note, the displayed pay range does not include additional pay practices or the value of Cleveland Clinic's comprehensive benefits package (including healthcare, dental and vision coverage, retirement savings contributions, and more). The listed range is based on a full-time (1.0 FTE) with the exception of PRN positions, which have an hourly rate based on the position type.