Clinical consultants are professionals who consult or work directly with clinical, non-clinical and vendor support personnel. Clinical consultants provide directives to management on medical expense streamlining, and activities that impact expenses. Clinical consultants must possess a valid state-issued registered nursing license.

Duties

Clinical consultants perform work flow analysis of products to determine purchase feasibility. Duties of a clinical consultant include understanding the functionality of a product or software, setting up support resources and educating clients on usage. As a clinical consultant your responsibilities may encompass creating reports, interfacing with product vendors and conducting product training sessions. A clinical consultant assists sales staff with product and software demonstrations. They also participate with various focus groups to evaluate product design specifications and documentation. Clinical consultants may also be required to perform other duties within the facility as assigned.

Qualifications

Those seeking employment as a clinical consultant must posses a valid state issued registered nurse license. Clinical consultants need the ability to handle multiple projects and priorities within a fast paced environment. In this role clinical consultants should be detail-oriented and able to meet established deadlines. Clinical consultants need the ability to effectively communicate ideas to all levels of management and subordinates. Excellent verbal, written and problem solving skills are required in this role. Other qualifications for this role include having a working knowledge of industry related software including project management, spreadsheets and word processing.

Education

Individuals seeking employment in this role must hold a bachelor's or master's degree in nursing. Potential clinical consultants also need at least five years acute care experience in a critical care setting. Certification in six sigma is preferred, but not required by employers recruiting for this role.

Opportunities

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics health care will generate 3.2 million new wage and salary jobs between 2008 and 2018. The increase in prospective jobs for clinical consultants will be due to the needs of an increasingly aging population and advanced medical technologies. The need for clinical consultants in health care settings is expected to increase quicker than other industries. These outlooks are based on evolving technologies and products, which is extending the average life span of most individuals. PayScale.com reports the clinical consultant workforce is currently 73 percent female

Salary

Factors affecting the starting salary of clinical consultants are education and experience. Those seeking employment with hospitals, can expect a starting salary between $55,000 and $77,000, according to PayScale. Employment opportunities in health care information technology facilities have higher starting salaries that range from $57,000 to $79,000. Salaries for individuals considering this role and possessing master's in nursing typically range from $62,000 to $83,000.