Clinical Nurse Specialist Multi Care Kidney Clinic

The CNS – Modality Educator will play a key leadership role in supporting patients and families to make informed decisions about renal replacement options, including home dialysis, in‑centre dialysis, conservative care, and kidney transplantation. This role will also be central to building modality education capacity across the interprofessional team and ensuring timely vascular and body access planning to support optimal patient outcomes.

The CNS will work closely with physician leads and the Clinical Manager to advance strategic priorities, clinical quality, and program development within the kidney care program that reflects the vision, mission and values of St. Michael’s hospital.

Reporting to the Clinical Manager, the Clinical Nurse Specialist – Modality Educator works collaboratively with nephrologists, nurses, allied health professionals, program leadership, internal and external partners to advance best practices in renal modality education, access planning, and transitions of care. The CNS provides expert clinical consultation, leads education initiatives, and supports quality improvement and research activities related to CKD management and renal replacement therapy.

The CNS demonstrates advanced knowledge, skill and judgment in providing care to patients that are consistent with the College of Nurses of Ontario. hael’s Hospital, a CNS must be able to demonstrate the ability to:

• Support the delivery of quality care to the chronic kidney disease (CKD) patient population, and facilitate the development of comprehensive care plans in conjunction with the interprofessional team to enhance patient safety, outcomes, access to care, and experience.
• Assess, plan, educate, implement and evaluate the needs and assist patients and their families in navigating the kidney care journey by providing solutions and resources.
• Blend clinical expertise with education, knowledge translation, leadership and research skills to serve as a consultant and resource to nurses, nursing leadership, interprofessional teams and external partners in the process of decision‑making, developing clinical guidelines and protocols, promoting the use of evidence, and facilitating system change.

The CNS works within four domains of practice.

• Provides individualized modality education for patients and families, ensuring timely, informed decision‑making aligned with patient values and goals.
• Serves as an expert clinical nursing resource in CKD management and renal replacement therapy, including home dialysis and transplantation, for patients, families, nursing colleagues and the interprofessional team.
• Collaborates with the interprofessional team to ensure early and timely referral for vascular access and body access procedures (e.g., AV fistula, PD catheter).
• Collaborates with internal and external partners to coordinate access planning, transplant work‑up pathways, and transitions across care settings.
• Supports care planning for patients with complex medical and psychosocial needs across the CKD continuum.

• Critically appraises renal‑related research and seeks patient and family input to apply evidence to clinical practice, education, quality and patient safety initiatives.
• Builds nursing capacity by supporting evidence‑based practice at the point of care.
• Mentors nursing students (undergraduate and graduate) and staff, e.g., professional development and quality improvement initiatives.
• Leads and collaborates in the development of modality education programs and resources for patients/families, nurses and interprofessional team members, based on current evidence and evaluates system interventions to decrease risks and complications of patients with CKD.
• Promotes best practices in renal modality education through the development, implementation, and evaluation of policies, procedures, and educational pathways aligned with provincial and national standards.

• Identifies emerging trends in CKD care, home dialysis utilization, and transplantation, and collaborates with regional partners to adapt practice accordingly.
• Leads and supports nursing research and quality improvement…