The Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) role provides leadership for best practice initiatives and cost- effective quality improvement.
Clinical Nurse Specialists possess the advanced knowledge and skills to coordinate quality care practices across three spheres of impact: patient care, nursing personnel, and the health care system. The role may include direct patient care, as well as consultation, systems leadership, research, ethical decision-making, and advocacy.
Specialty
Learn about the advanced practice care of patients across the cancer care continuum, by adding an Oncology specialty to your DNP degree.
Learn more about Loyola's Oncology Nursing program.
Curriculum
The Adult-Gerontology CNS program can be completed fully online, allowing students to complete their clinical practicum hours at a site close to home. The program is 62-63 credit hours.
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| GNUR 404 | Theories & Concepts for Advanced Clinical Practice | 3 |
| GNUR 405 | Introductory Statistics for Healthcare Professionals | 3 |
| GNUR 407 | Social Justice and Ethics in Health Care | 3 |
| GNUR 408 | Research for Advanced Clinical Practice | 3 |
| GNUR 420 | Leadership and Roles in Advanced Nursing Practice | 3 |
| GNUR 521 | Population-Focused Health | 3 |
| GNUR 523 | Health Care Policy and Economics | 3 |
| GNUR 545 | Evidence Translation for Advanced Clinical Practice | 3 |
| CMAN 425 | Advanced Quality and Safety in Health Care | 3 |
| GNUR 413 | Advanced Pharmacology | 3 |
| GNUR 425 | Advanced Health Assessment Across the LifeSpan | 4 |
| GNUR 442 | Advanced Physiology/Pathophysiology | 3 |
| MSN 447 | CNS Practice Across the Adult Age Spectrum | 3 |
| GNUR 534 | Advanced Practice Nursing Care of Older Adults | 2 |
| GNUR 471 | Palliative Care | 2-3 |
| or GNUR 509 | Teaching Methods |
| GNUR 570 | DNP Scholarly Project: Planning | 1 |
| GNUR 571 | DNP Scholarly Project: Proposal and Pre-Implementation | 2 |
| GNUR 572 | DNP Scholarly Project: Project Implementation | 2 |
| GNUR 573 | DNP Scholarly Project: Analysis and Dissemination | 1 |
| Clinical Practicum for Advanced Practice in the CNS role | |
| Total Hours | 62-63 |
Clinical Experience
A minimum of 2,000 hours of recent clinical practice experience is required before entering the first APRN clinical rotation. Students must have an RN license before they begin their clinical experiences/practicums.
Graduate & Professional Standards and Regulations
Students in graduate and professional programs can find their Academic Policies in Graduate and Professional Academic Standards and Regulations under their school. Any additional University Policies supersede school policies.
Learning Outcomes
PROGRAM GOAL
The goal of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program is to prepare nurses to assume advanced roles in direct care and systems leadership domains at the highest level of nursing to improve health care outcomes through practice-based scholarship.
PROGRAM OUTCOMES
At the completion of the DNP program, the graduate has the knowledge and skills to:
- Apply integrated scientific, knowledge and clinical judgements at the highest level of professional nursing practice.
- Evaluate health care delivery approaches and healthcare systems, with an emphasis on quality and safety.
- Apply best evidence in approaches to client and system-centered practices.
- Apply analytic approaches and information technology in the delivery and improvement of client-centered health care and health care systems.
- Employ ethics, leadership, and advocacy concepts to advance healthcare quality and equity for individuals, systems and populations.
- Implement intraprofessional and interprofessional leadership and collaboration competencies and methods, at the highest level of professional nursing practice in advancing health and health outcomes.
