State of Maryland

A Clinical Nurse Specialist Psychiatric is the full performance level of work responsible for the clinical quality of direct nursing care for an assigned area of a facility.  A Clinical Nurse Specialist Psychiatric provides specialized psychiatric nursing care.  A Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions but may give advice and guidance to Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses and non-licensed nursing care staff.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from an Assistant Director of Nursing or the Director of Nursing.  Employees may be assigned to day, evening, night or rotating shifts which may include holidays and weekends.  Employees may be subject to call-in and overtime based on staffing needs.  The work is usually performed in a residential or inpatient treatment facility providing twenty-four hour care.  Employees are required to observe infection control precautions in order to prevent contamination and spread of disease.  The work may require lifting and positioning non-ambulatory patients and lifting of wheelchairs and other heavy equipment.  The work may require long periods of standing, walking, bending and reaching.

Positions in this classification are evaluated using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The Clinical Nurse Specialist is differentiated from the Registered Nurse Supervisor in that the Clinical Nurse Specialist is responsible for the clinical quality of nursing care, staff training and staff development in an assigned area of a facility while the Registered Nurse Supervisor has supervisory responsibility for lower-level Registered Nurses and is responsible for staffing schedules and coverage, patient care assignment, staff counseling and discipline and other administrative responsibilities.

Provides training and guidance to nursing staff on clinical nursing practices;

Observes adequacy of nursing care and documentations;

Assumes responsibility for the nursing care of a designated group of patients;

Collaborates with members of the therapeutic team in planning the overall program for patients on both individual and programmatic levels;

Assesses the educational needs of nursing staff and may assist in developing, implementing and evaluating in-service educational programs;

Provides input into the evaluation of the clinical practice of individual nursing and support staff;

Educates patients and families in the areas of health problems, health maintenance and self-care skills;

Coordinates nursing activities related to the discharge of patients and their re-entry into the community;

Participates in research studies;

Collaborates with nursing leadership in the development and establishment of standards of clinical nursing practice in the agency/facility;

Provides nursing process supervision in various treatment modalities for other clinical personnel;

Acts as a nursing consultant to related clinical programs and/or community agencies;

Represents the agency/facility on a regional or statewide level with regard to matters of clinical nursing practices;

Evaluates clinical nursing care in an assigned area;

Develops policies and procedures pertinent to clinical programs;

Develops, implements and evaluates plans for nursing care;

May provide group and individual psychotherapy;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of the theory, principles and practices of clinical nursing in the area of clinical specialty;

Knowledge of theory of registered nursing practice and the nursing process;

Skill in observing and measuring the effects of nursing intervention;

Skill in developing a plan of care for the patient;

Ability to work effectively with patients, families, professional and nonprofessional healthcare workers, community agency personnel, and the general public;

Ability to accurately document and maintain nursing health care records;

Ability to assess the physical, emotional and social needs of patients;

Ability to provide clinical advice and guidance to nursing staff and other healthcare workers;

Ability to coordinate nursing services with other therapeutic services.

Education:   A Master’s degree in Nursing or a health-related field from an accredited college or university.

Experience: Two years of experience providing nursing care.

Note: Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a commissioned officer in Nursing classifications or Nursing and Hospital Administration specialty codes in the Nursing field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience and education.

1. Candidates for positions in this classification must possess a current license as a Registered Nurse from the Maryland State Board of Nursing, 4140 Patterson Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21215.

2. Employees in this classification may be assigned duties which require the operation of a motor vehicle. Employees assigned such duties will be required to possess a motor vehicle operator’s license valid in the State of Maryland.

3. Employees in this classification may be required to successfully complete cardiopulmonary resuscitation training and maintain current certification.

1. Employees in this classification may be subject to call-in and, therefore, may be required to provide the facility with a phone number at which they can be reached.

2. Employees in this classification are subject to substance abuse testing in accordance with the Code of Maryland Regulations 17.04.09, Testing for Illegal Use of Drugs.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Professional Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Professional Service positions.  Some positions in Professional Service classifications may be designated as Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit E, Health Care Professionals classes. As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial, and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining. Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.