A Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) is an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) who holds a master's or doctoral degree in nursing. They are experts in a specialized area of nursing practice, which can be based on a specific population (e.g., pediatrics or geriatrics), a setting (e.g., critical care or emergency room), a disease or medical subspecialty (e.g., diabetes or oncology), a type of care (e.g., psychiatric or rehabilitation), or a type of problem (e.g., pain, wounds, stress).
