Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) online degree program is an advanced training from American International University (AIU) that will help you earn the privilege of assessing, diagnosing, and treating patients.
The primary goal of a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) is to identify gaps in the delivery of healthcare services. They do so by designing and implementing change and assessing and evaluating interventions. Clinical nurse specializations are delineated by particular populations, such as pediatrics, neonatal or gerontology; settings, such as the emergency room; diseases, such as oncology; or a type of care, such as rehabilitation and pain management. Areas of subspecialty include nurse education, clinical lipidology, primary, acute, cardiology, and palliative care, among others.
Clinical hours are a substantial part of the learning experience in advanced degree programs in CNS. For both master’s and doctoral programs, a minimum of 500 supervised clinical hours in the candidate’s area of specialization is required. Depending on the program and the state in which a participant lives, clinical hours may be completed under the supervision of an approved mentor in one’s local community. Some programs, however, require students to complete clinical hours in the state in which the degree program is administered.
Our graduate programs are designed for working nurses. You will complete courses online in an asynchronous format. Clinical hours in the program are focused on acquiring the CNS competencies appropriate for the population, involving wellness through acute care. You will need to have a foundation of 1-2 years recent acute care practice, with the specialty population, in order to support role development into advanced practice across the continuum of health care services. You must complete a minimum of 500 hours in a clinical setting under the supervision of qualified preceptors.
Your Degree Plan includes courses needed to complete your program. To obtain your degree, you will be required to demonstrate your skills and knowledge by completing the assessment(s) for each course. In general, there are two types of assessments: performance assessments and objective assessments. Performance assessments contain, in most cases, multiple scored tasks such as projects, essays, and research papers. Objective assessments include multiple-choice items, multiple-selection items, matching, short answer, drag-and-drop, and point-and-click item types, as well as case study and video-based items. and videobased items.
A learning resource can be an e-textbook, online module, study guide, simulation, virtual lab, tutorial, or a combination of these. The cost of most learning resources are included in your tuition and Learning Resource Fee. They can be accessed or enrolled for through your courses. Some degree-specific resources are not covered by your tuition, and you will need to cover those costs separately. AIU also provides a robust library to help you obtain additional learning resources, as needed.
Standard Path for Master of Science in clinical nurse specialist (BSN to MSN)
We measure your progress based on the courses you are able to pass, not on your accumulation of credit hours or course grades. Every time you pass a course, you are demonstrating that you have mastered skills and knowledge in your degree program. For comparison to traditional grading systems, passing a course means you have demonstrated competency equivalent to a “B” grade or better.
Our masters’ programs are designed to be completed in 2 academic years or 4 semesters by students enrolled on a full-time basis (9 credits hours/semester or more).
In keeping with its commitment to quality and affordable education, the American International University will offer a Differential Tuition Fee Exemption Scholarship of up to 50% off to students from developing countries who are enrolled full time in an offered program starting Fall 2021. Contact us to discuss your eligibility.
| Enrollment Status | Tuition | Tuition differential |
|---|---|---|
| Full Time | $5,280/year or $2,640/semester | Covering up to 50% of tuition fees |
| Part time | $352/credit | Not eligible |
Select your course, department & find the best one that suits your requirements & get started!
Stream Now| Context of Healthcare for Advanced Practice Nursing | First semester first year | 3 |
| Statistical literacy and reasoning in Nursing Research | First semester first year | 3 |
| Clinical Judgement in Advanced Acute Care Nursing I | First semester first year | 3 |
| Advanced Health Assessment and Measurement | First semester first year | 3 |
| Physiological/Pathophysiological Basis for Advanced Nursing Practice I | First year summer semester | 3 |
| Clinical pharmacology | First year summer semester | 3 |
| Role Practicum I | First year summer semester | 3 |
| Applications of Research to Practice | Second year first semester | 3 |
| Clinical Judgement in Acute Care Nursing II | Second year first semester | 3 |
| Program development and evaluation in Heath care | Second year first semester | 3 |
| Role Practicum II | Second year first semester | 3 |
| Philosophical, Theoretical and Ethics Basis for Nursing | Second year second semester | 3 |
| Health Promotion and Disease Prevention | Second year second semester | 3 |
| Human and Family Development through Lifespan | Second year second semester | 3 |
| Role Practicum III | Second year second semester | 3 |
If the Baccalaureate degree was completed outside of the United States:
| 93% - 100% | A | 4.0 |
| 90% - 92% | A+ | 3.7 |
| 87% - 89% | B+ | 3.3 |
| 83% - 86% | B | 3.0 |
| 80% - 82% | B- | 2.7 |
| 77% - 79% | C+ | 2.3 |
| 73% - 76% | C | 2.0 |
| 70% - 72% | C- | 1.7 |
| 67% - 69% | D+ | 1.3 |
| 63% - 66% | D | 1.0 |
| 60% - 62% | D- | 0.7 |
| 0% - 59% | F | 0 |
