Clinical Nurse Specialist Jobs in North Carolina
Clinical Nurse Specialist jobs in North Carolina are in steady demand, with active hiring concentrated in acute care hospital systems, oncology, behavioral health, and diabetes management programs at every level from new graduate to senior CNS. Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, and Greensboro account for the largest share of openings, where major employers such as Atrium Health, Duke University Health System, and UNC Health maintain consistent CNS recruitment across their networks. Population-facing specialties including pediatric acute care, cardiac care, and psychiatric-mental health are among the most sought-after in the state. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 10+ Clinical Nurse Specialist jobs
Description
Your passion belongs at UNC Health. Join more than 56,000 teammates working together to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve across North Carolina.
Join the dynamic Center for Nursing Excellence at UNC Hospitals as an Educator supporting children's perioperative services! If you are passionate about shaping the future of nursing and committed to excellence, apply today to make a meaningful impact on our vibrant team!
What You'll Do:
- Work with leadership and committees to implement evidence-based practices, facilitate Nursing Orientation and mentor new staff
- Guide the development of standards, policies, and procedures while fostering professional growth and innovation
- Collaborate with perioperative educators and leaders dedicated to advancing the Division of Nursing
- Develop and deliver educational programs to enhance nursing competencies
- Serve as a clinical resource and role model
Two years of perioperative experience is strongly preferred
Summary:
The Clinical Nurse Education Specialist is an advanced level of nursing practice that facilitates the professional development of licensed and unlicensed employees to enhance professional competency including (but not limited to) educational assessment, planning and outcome evaluation. Coordinates staff development and educational needs of patient care nursing staff, patients, and families. This is an advanced level position in clinical education, which is performed under minimal supervision. Assignments are characterized as those requiring collaboration to address staff educational needs within a specialty practice area and/or service and/or across the hospital. Serves as subject matter expert in a lead capacity for house-wide initiatives, including those in conjunction with hospital accreditation Work may be performed collaboratively for multiple disciplines across the continuum of care or for a specific patient population or service area.
Responsibilities:
1. Clinical Resource- Serves as a clinical resource and role model, provides clinical supervision to staff in developing clinical knowledge, skills and abilities
2. Competencies- Participates in the identification of essential competencies for clinical areas/service lines. Develops educational programs to maintain or develop the identified competencies. Works with and through preceptors and nursing unit leadership to develop knowledge and skills of nursing staff.
3. Educational Consultation- Provides consultation to UNC Health Care system and UNC Hospitals, and nursing leadership for program development. Partners with committees, councils and other departments in the identification and development of educational programs, training for new products, and development of competence assessment.
4. Educational Programs- Independently plans and delivers an array of educational programs to hospital employees in clinical, department or hospital wide groups with a primary focus on nursing staff. Develops, coordinates, administers, facilitates, conducts and evaluates Nursing Orientation programs including skill based residency programs and the Nurse Residency Program.
5. Evidence-Based Practice- Develops evidence-based standards of care, comprehensive nursing plans, clinical pathways for patients and families and facilitates implementation of same.
6. Nursing Educational Programs- Develops educational programs designed to augment the knowledge, skills and attitudes of nursing staff. Assist in the development of Clinical Nurse III and Clinical Nurse IV educational skills to plan, develop, and present continuing education content/programs. Evaluates the outcomes of all educational programs. Participates in point of care research.
7. Placement of Nursing students- Assists in orientation and placement of nursing students in clinical units. Serves as resource to faculty. Mentors graduate students
8. Professional growth and development- Demonstrates responsibility for own professional growth and development. Maintains current certification in clinical specialty or Nursing Professional Development.
9. Research, Policies and Procedures- Evaluates current research to maintain knowledge of practice trends. Guides the development and revision of standards, policies and procedures for the Department of Nursing. Facilitates the dissemination of practice changes through Nursing Standards Committee and the Shared Governance Councils. Develops and maintains relationships with faculty and students from nursing and other clinical disciplines.
Other Information
Education Requirements:
- Graduation from a state-accredited school of professional nursing.
- Bachelor's degree and Master's degree of which one must be in Nursing.
- Licensed to practice as a Registered Nurse in the state of North Carolina.
- Requires certification in area of specialization within twelve (12) months of hire.
- Two (2) years of clinical experience in clinical specialty.
Job Details
Legal Employer: STATE
Entity: UNC Medical Center
Organization Unit: Center of Nursing Excellence
Work Type: Full Time
Standard Hours Per Week: 40.00
Salary Range: $38.55 - $55.43 per hour (Hiring Range)
Pay offers are determined by experience and internal equity
Work Assignment Type: Onsite
Work Schedule: Day Job
Location of Job: US:NC:Chapel Hill
Exempt From Overtime: Exempt: Yes
This is a State position employed by UNC Health Care System with UNC Health benefits. If, however, you are presently an employee of another North Carolina agency and currently participate in TSERS or the ORP, you will be eligible to continue participating in those plans at UNC Health.
Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran or political affiliation.
UNC Health makes reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as applicants and employees with disabilities. All interested applicants are invited to apply for career opportunities. Please email applicant.accommodations@unchealth.unc.edu if you need a reasonable accommodation to search and/or to apply for a career opportunity.
Description
Your passion belongs at UNC Health. Join more than 56,000 teammates working together to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve across North Carolina.
Join the dynamic Center for Nursing Excellence at UNC Hospitals as an Educator supporting children's perioperative services! If you are passionate about shaping the future of nursing and committed to excellence, apply today to make a meaningful impact on our vibrant team!
What You'll Do:
- Work with leadership and committees to implement evidence-based practices, facilitate Nursing Orientation and mentor new staff
- Guide the development of standards, policies, and procedures while fostering professional growth and innovation
- Collaborate with perioperative educators and leaders dedicated to advancing the Division of Nursing
- Develop and deliver educational programs to enhance nursing competencies
- Serve as a clinical resource and role model
Two years of perioperative experience is strongly preferred
Summary:
The Clinical Nurse Education Specialist is an advanced level of nursing practice that facilitates the professional development of licensed and unlicensed employees to enhance professional competency including (but not limited to) educational assessment, planning and outcome evaluation. Coordinates staff development and educational needs of patient care nursing staff, patients, and families. This is an advanced level position in clinical education, which is performed under minimal supervision. Assignments are characterized as those requiring collaboration to address staff educational needs within a specialty practice area and/or service and/or across the hospital. Serves as subject matter expert in a lead capacity for house-wide initiatives, including those in conjunction with hospital accreditation Work may be performed collaboratively for multiple disciplines across the continuum of care or for a specific patient population or service area.
Responsibilities:
1. Clinical Resource- Serves as a clinical resource and role model, provides clinical supervision to staff in developing clinical knowledge, skills and abilities
2. Competencies- Participates in the identification of essential competencies for clinical areas/service lines. Develops educational programs to maintain or develop the identified competencies. Works with and through preceptors and nursing unit leadership to develop knowledge and skills of nursing staff.
3. Educational Consultation- Provides consultation to UNC Health Care system and UNC Hospitals, and nursing leadership for program development. Partners with committees, councils and other departments in the identification and development of educational programs, training for new products, and development of competence assessment.
4. Educational Programs- Independently plans and delivers an array of educational programs to hospital employees in clinical, department or hospital wide groups with a primary focus on nursing staff. Develops, coordinates, administers, facilitates, conducts and evaluates Nursing Orientation programs including skill based residency programs and the Nurse Residency Program.
5. Evidence-Based Practice- Develops evidence-based standards of care, comprehensive nursing plans, clinical pathways for patients and families and facilitates implementation of same.
6. Nursing Educational Programs- Develops educational programs designed to augment the knowledge, skills and attitudes of nursing staff. Assist in the development of Clinical Nurse III and Clinical Nurse IV educational skills to plan, develop, and present continuing education content/programs. Evaluates the outcomes of all educational programs. Participates in point of care research.
7. Placement of Nursing students- Assists in orientation and placement of nursing students in clinical units. Serves as resource to faculty. Mentors graduate students
8. Professional growth and development- Demonstrates responsibility for own professional growth and development. Maintains current certification in clinical specialty or Nursing Professional Development.
9. Research, Policies and Procedures- Evaluates current research to maintain knowledge of practice trends. Guides the development and revision of standards, policies and procedures for the Department of Nursing. Facilitates the dissemination of practice changes through Nursing Standards Committee and the Shared Governance Councils. Develops and maintains relationships with faculty and students from nursing and other clinical disciplines.
Other Information
Education Requirements:
- Graduation from a state-accredited school of professional nursing.
- Bachelor's degree and Master's degree of which one must be in Nursing.
- Licensed to practice as a Registered Nurse in the state of North Carolina.
- Requires certification in area of specialization within twelve (12) months of hire.
- Two (2) years of clinical experience in clinical specialty.
Job Details
Legal Employer: STATE
Entity: UNC Medical Center
Organization Unit: Center of Nursing Excellence
Work Type: Full Time
Standard Hours Per Week: 40.00
Salary Range: $38.55 - $55.43 per hour (Hiring Range)
Pay offers are determined by experience and internal equity
Work Assignment Type: Onsite
Work Schedule: Day Job
Location of Job: US:NC:Chapel Hill
Exempt From Overtime: Exempt: Yes
This is a State position employed by UNC Health Care System with UNC Health benefits. If, however, you are presently an employee of another North Carolina agency and currently participate in TSERS or the ORP, you will be eligible to continue participating in those plans at UNC Health.
Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran or political affiliation.
UNC Health makes reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as applicants and employees with disabilities. All interested applicants are invited to apply for career opportunities. Please email applicant.accommodations@unchealth.unc.edu if you need a reasonable accommodation to search and/or to apply for a career opportunity.
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Find JobsClinical Nurse Specialist Jobs by City in North Carolina
Where North Carolina roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Clinical Nurse Specialist Job Market in North Carolina
A snapshot from current North Carolina openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
What North Carolina Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in clinical nurse specialist jobs across North Carolina.
- Active North Carolina RN license and CNS recognition issued by the North Carolina Board of Nursing
- Master of Science in Nursing or Doctor of Nursing Practice with a CNS concentration
- National CNS certification from AACN, ANCC, or a specialty-recognized certifying body
- Minimum clinical nursing experience in the applicable specialty population or practice area
- Demonstrated ability to lead quality improvement initiatives and translate evidence into practice
- Strong interprofessional collaboration skills within multidisciplinary inpatient or outpatient care teams
Clinical Nurse Specialist Jobs in North Carolina: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a clinical nurse specialist in North Carolina?
To become a clinical nurse specialist in North Carolina, you must first hold an active North Carolina RN license and then complete a graduate-level nursing program, either a Master of Science in Nursing or a Doctor of Nursing Practice with a CNS concentration. After graduating, you obtain national CNS certification from a body such as AACN or ANCC, then apply to the North Carolina Board of Nursing for official CNS recognition, which is required to practice and prescribe in the state.
How much do clinical nurse specialists make in North Carolina?
Clinical nurse specialists in North Carolina earn a median of about $84,350 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $67,660 for the lowest 10% to over $110,220 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire clinical nurse specialists in North Carolina?
Employers hiring clinical nurse specialists in North Carolina right now include UNC Health, Duke Health, and ECU Health, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of October 2026. North Carolina's large academic medical centers and regional hospital networks drive the bulk of consistent CNS demand, particularly for specialty-focused and system-wide clinical education roles.
Which North Carolina cities have the most clinical nurse specialist jobs?
Chapel Hill, Raleigh, and Charlotte have the most clinical nurse specialist openings in North Carolina. Charlotte leads because of Atrium Health's sprawling multi-hospital footprint, Raleigh-Durham reflects the density of Duke Health and UNC Health's academic medical campuses, and Greensboro draws demand from Cone Health and the broader Triad region's growing health system infrastructure.
Are there remote clinical nurse specialist jobs in North Carolina?
Yes, but they're rare. Clinical nurse specialists are primarily hands-on clinicians embedded in patient care settings, so most roles require on-site presence. About 0% of clinical nurse specialist openings tied to North Carolina are remote or hybrid as of October 2026, and those positions tend to concentrate in telehealth consultation, utilization review, or system-wide clinical education functions rather than direct bedside practice.
How can I get hired as a clinical nurse specialist in North Carolina with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is applying to new-graduate CNS or advanced practice nurse residency programs, which Atrium Health, Duke University Health System, and UNC Health all offer to support graduates transitioning from clinical RN roles. Lateral entry from a staff RN or charge nurse position in your target specialty strengthens your application considerably, and securing your ANCC or AACN CNS certification before applying gives you a clear competitive edge over uncertified candidates.
Where can I find and apply to clinical nurse specialist jobs in North Carolina?
You can find and apply to clinical nurse specialist jobs in North Carolina on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings across the state. Search the listings for roles that match your specialty and experience level, then apply directly to the ones that fit.
See All 10 Clinical Nurse Specialist Jobs in North Carolina
Find roles in North Carolina that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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