Clinical Nurse Specialist Intern (Outcomes Specialist) - Emergency

Overview

Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Intern (Outcomes Specialist)
Location: IU Arnett, Lafayette, IN
Department: Emergency Department 

Role Overview:
The CNS Intern will support the Emergency Department by providing clinical expertise and leadership across patient care, nursing practice, organizational systems, and quality initiatives. This role primarily focuses on a specific service line, with current patient populations addressed during project meetings and upon request.

Core Schedule: Monday-Friday; dayshift (8:00am-4:30pm)

Job Responsibilities

Clinical Practice – Patient/Client Sphere

• Identify high-risk patients within the assigned service line or specialty.
• Conduct clinical rounds to assess problem-prone cases and prioritize interventions.
• Respond to nursing staff and interdisciplinary team requests for complex patient evaluations.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to develop proactive interventions and individualized care plans.
• Serve as a resource for patients and families to facilitate communication and monitor care.
• Promote patient self-care, wellness, and lifestyle education; coordinate community case management for high-risk populations.
• Mentor and coach team members on disease management and continuity of care.
• Apply advanced clinical judgment and critical thinking to formulate differential diagnoses.

Nursing Practice

• Act as a leader, consultant, mentor, and change agent to advance nursing practice.
• Facilitate critical thinking and monitor nurse-sensitive data to improve quality outcomes.
• Design tools to identify gaps in nursing competencies and develop practice guidelines.
• Serve as a role model and coach for professional accountability and clinical standards.
• Consult on complex cases and collaborate to ensure best practices and safety standards.

Organization & Systems – Focus Post-CNS Degree

• Analyze clinical metrics and lead evidence-based changes in care delivery.
• Develop and evaluate nursing standards, policies, and protocols.
• Facilitate system-level changes to promote cost-effective, evidence-based care.
• Collaborate on quality indicators and performance improvement initiatives.
• Promote inter-professional collaboration for research, innovation, and quality improvement.
• Participate in safety initiatives and risk mitigation strategies.

Qualifications:
 

• Requires advanced clinical skills; with appropriate credentialing based on the patient population (this is often reflected in an advance degree in the field of specialization; i . e . MSN or RRT.
•  Requires knowledge of research/methodologies.
• Requires strong interpersonal; problem solving and analytical skills.
• Requires strong organizational skills.
• Requires effective communication and conflict resolution skills.
• Requires ability to lead and delegate effectively.
• Requires strong clinical expertise within assigned patient population.
•  Requires the ability to educate patient populations and influence behaviors.
•  Requires the ability to educate staff and serve in a mentoring role.
• Requires strong computer skills and proficiency in applicable software (spreadsheet; database; etc . ).