Title protection for Clinical Nurse Specialist job in CA

[capyboppy]

Jurisdiction

California

CA statute requires that anyone holding him- or herself out as a clinical nurse specialist (CNS) must be certified as a CNS by the CA Board of Registered Nursing. My employer has a job classification of "clinical nurse specialist" that does not require a candidate to hold CNS certification by the BRN. Is it illegal to hold the job title of clinical nurse specialist if you are not certified as a CNS and do not represent yourself to be a certified CNS? Is it illegal for the institution to have a job class of CNS whose requirements differ from the State's?

 

[adjusterjack]

The people at the CA Board of Registered Nursing enforcement section can answer those questions for you.

Enforcement Program

Make the call.

 

[capyboppy]

The people at the CA Board of Registered Nursing enforcement section can answer those questions for you.

Enforcement Program

Make the call.

Thank you!

 

[zddoodah]

CA statute requires that anyone holding him- or herself out as a clinical nurse specialist (CNS) must be certified as a CNS by the CA Board of Registered Nursing.

Since you're asking how this particular statute applies to a particular set of facts, it would have been helpful to cite the statute.

Is it illegal to hold the job title of clinical nurse specialist if you are not certified as a CNS and do not represent yourself to be a certified CNS?

Are you asking if, in addition to the unidentified statute to which you referred, there is another statute that prohibits holding a "job classification" without a CNS certification? Or are you asking whether holding this "job classification" without the certification runs afoul of the unidentified statute? If it's the latter, I'm guessing the answer is probably not, but I'd obviously have to read the statute to know for sure.

Is it illegal for the institution to have a job class of CNS whose requirements differ from the State's?

I doubt it.