Also called: CNS
An expert nurse who improves care across an entire unit, training staff and solving tough patient problems.
Gets called when a patient has a wound that won't heal or a unit keeps having falls. Researches the best evidence, rewrites procedures, and teaches the other nurses how to do it better.
Estimate; BLS groups CNSs with registered nurses.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 6 years after high school. RN plus a master's or doctorate as a clinical nurse specialist.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school, Certification. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Nursing (BSN), Nursing (ADN).
Growing faster than average (about 5% over 10 years). Tracks RN growth.
Low risk for 10 years. AI surfaces quality data across a unit; coaching nurses and solving tough bedside problems stay human-driven.
Classes: AP Biology, Chemistry, AP Statistics, Psychology.
Official data: O*NET occupation 29-1141.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.