Clinical Nurse Specialist Programs
(found programs from 171 schools)

Below is a complete list of nationally accredited Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) programs.

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The good news is that you can find a lot of clinical nurse specialist programs to choose from. In case you want to use the Wizard to do a more specific search (nursing schools by state, online RN to MSN programs, etc.), just use the search box in the upper right corner of this page.

What Does A Clinical Nurse Specialist / CNS Actually Do?

There are a lot of similarities between the CNS and NP specialties in terms of populations and sub-specialties. However, the Clinical Nurse Specialist often works in a hospital setting, providing expert care and mentoring other staff members, whereas Nurse Practitioners frequently work outside of the hospital, in more generalist roles.

You can find more information about this role on the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS) website. Interestingly, according to the NACNS, over 14,000 nurses are certified as both Nurse Practitioners and Clinical Nurse Specialists. A number of the program tracks below prepare students for both - make sure to ask the school whether this is the case or whether you have to choose between the two of them. The average salary of a Clinical Nurse Specialist is slightly lower than an NP’s - in the $75,000 to $80,000 range.

How Do I Become A Clinical Nurse Specialist?

The first step in becoming a Clinical Nurse Specialist is to attend a nationally accredited Masters program that offers CNS tracks. As with other roles, the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) is the primary and most respected source of board certifications, offering them for:

• Adult Health CNS
• Adult Psychiatric & Mental Health CNS
• Child\Adolescent Psych & Mental Health CNS
• CNS Core Exam
• Diabetes Management - Advanced
• Gerontological CNS
• Home Health CNS
• Pediatric CNS
• Public/Community Health CNS

Other specialty certifications are available from the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation, the American Association of Critical Care Nurses Certification Corporation, and the Orthopaedic Nurses Certification Board. You will take the appropriate certification exam at the end of your degree program. As always, make sure to check with the Board of Nursing in the state where you intend to practice, for any state specific requirements.