Question: I am a registered nurse working in a hospital operated by Healthscope. I am interested in progressing to a Clinical Nurse Specialist position. Is there an approved pathway?

Answer: Clause 5 of the Healthscope – NSWNMA/ANMF – NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Enterprise Agreement 2015–2019 contains the pathway to becoming a Clinical Nurse Specialist (Grades 1–2). In short, a Clinical Nurse Specialist Grade 1 applies a higher level of clinical nursing knowledge, experience and skills in providing complex nursing/midwifery care directed towards a specific area of practice, a defined population or defined service area, with minimum supervision. The clause sets out the minimum criteria that must be met to demonstrate such additional competence and expertise. Additional criteria are set out for a Grade 2 role. Note that a Clinical Nurse Specialist position is a personal grading.