Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist or Quality and Practice Advisor

Acut Care Clinical Nurse Specialist or Quality and Practice Advisor

This position is located at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford. The role combines advanced clinical practice with evidence‑based improvement and patient‑centered care.

Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) and Quality and Practice Advisors (QPA) lead clinical excellence and care improvement across the hospital. They provide advanced nursing practice, clinical leadership, quality improvement, and education.

• Provide expert nursing care for patients with complex health needs.
• Assess, diagnose, treat, and evaluate patients using advanced clinical skills.
• Develop and implement standards of nursing practice.
• Serve as a consultant or expert resource person for other health providers.
• Facilitate an interdisciplinary collaborative approach.
• Seek consultations and make referrals as needed.
• Promote research to improve clinical nursing practice.

• Lead evidence‑based improvement initiatives to enhance patient care and staff workflow.
• Implement evidence‑based practice and specialty standards.
• Utilize data trends and standard processes to assess and improve patient outcomes.
• Educate the inter‑professional team and support professional development.
• Represent clinical practice in a subspecialty practice area.

• Registered Nurse by California Board of Registered Nursing.
• Master’s degree in nursing or related field for CNS;
  Bachelor’s degree for QPA.
• Three (3) years of progressively responsible and directly related nursing experience.
• Clinical Nurse Specialist certification by California Board of Registered Nursing (CNS).
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification, with advanced life support certifications (ACLS/NRP/PALS) required for CNS.
• For QPA: enrollment in a CNS program (completed within 4 years of hiring).

• Advanced clinical practice, education, research, and administration.
• Clinical operations, workflow, and procedures.
• Effective communication in oral and written form.
• Ability to conduct research and make evidence‑based recommendations.
• Proficiency in patient assessment, triage, and care.
• Consultation skills with physicians, nurses, and other health care providers.

Typical nursing duties involve lifting and transferring patients, standing for prolonged periods, and wearing personal protective equipment. Reasonable accommodations are available to individuals with disabilities.

Compensation is based on level and requirements of the role. Minimum to midpoint hourly salary ranges are $87.14 to $108.92 for CNS and $79.03 to $98.79 for QPA. SMCH values diversity and is an equal opportunity employer.

SMCH is committed to equal opportunity and non‑discrimination in all employment practices. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, marital status, medical condition, genetic information, veteran status, or disability. Qualified applicants with criminal convictions may be considered after individualized assessment and in accordance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

Stanford Medicine Children’s Health (SMCH) strongly values diversity and is committed to equal opportunity and non‑discrimination in all of its policies and practices.