Transforming Nursing, Midwifery And Health Profession (NMaHP) roles: review of Clinical Nurse Specialist and Nurse Practitioner roles within Scotland

Annex I CNS Data Cleansing Guidance Part 2: TR criteria for checking against job description

The criteria below have been designed to help identify levels of practice. For further information, role definitions and core competencies for both levels of practice may be consulted.

Level 6 - Specialist Practitioner (CNS or NP)

• Registered Nurse
• Relevant clinical experience
• Post-registration education in specialist field
• Educated at a minimum of graduate certificate (honours degree) level in an appropriate subject (relevant to speciality of area of care), although a postgraduate certificate is recommended
• Works under a closer level of guidance than the Level 7 practitioner
• Job description should describe all of the following:
  • History taking
  • Focused clinical assessment
  • Requesting and acting on investigations
  • The ability to make or confirm a differential diagnosis or diagnosis
  • The ability to make decisions following analysis of clinical findings, predominately using written guidelines or protocols
  • The ability to plan or co-ordinate care usually following a protocol or guideline
  • The ability to provide specialist advice and support to other professionals
  • May be able to independently prescribe
  • May have authority to admit or discharge from their speciality

Level 7 - Advanced Clinical Nurse Specialist (ACNS)

• Registered Nurse
• Experience as a Specialist Nurse
• Post-registration education in specialist field
• Educated to postgraduate diploma and preferably a master's degree in an appropriate subject (relevant to speciality of area of care)
• Clinical leadership
• Expert advisor
• Greater clinical autonomy relative to the Level 6 practitioner
• Job description describes all of the following:
  • History taking
  • Focused clinical assessment
  • Requesting and acting on a range of investigations
  • Will receive direct referrals
  • The ability to make or confirm a differential diagnosis or diagnosis
  • The ability to make decisions following analysis and synthesis of clinical findings
  • The ability to plan or co-ordinate care taking into account relevant protocols and guidelines
  • The ability to provide expert advice and support to other professionals
  • May be able to independently prescribe
  • May have authority to admit or discharge from their speciality