Abstract
Nurse executives in 2 adult, acute care hospitals support utilization of the clinical
nurse specialist (CNS) and clinical nurse leader (CNL), as master’s prepared roles
with specialized education, training, and content expertise in clinical care. Utilizing
both roles created a dynamic structure to facilitate high quality patient care that
is efficient, safe, and cost effective. As the nursing shortage continues to grow
and demands of health care continue to expand, the CNS and CNL will ensure high quality
care through implementation of evidence-based practice, ongoing quality improvement
initiatives, and providing an added layer of clinical care and decision-making support
for bedside nurses.
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to Nurse LeaderAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- US Healthcare Labor Market.(Available at:)https://www.mercer.us/content/dam/mercer/assets/content-images/north-america/united-states/us-healthcare-news/us-2021-healthcare-labor-market-whitepaper.pdfDate: 2021Date accessed: October 9, 2021
- The continuing saga of nurse staffing: historical and emerging challenges.J Nurs Adm. 2019; 49: 221-227
- Prevalence of and factors associated with nurse burnout in the US.JAMA Netw Open. 2021; 4e2036469
- 5 Things You Should Know About Stress.(Available at:)https://www.nimh.nih.gov/sites/default/files/documents/health/publications/stress/19-mh-8109-5-things-stress.pdfDate accessed: November 17, 2021
- Nursing Shortage.in: StatPearls [Internet]. 2022 (Available at:)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493175/Date accessed: November 17, 2021
- Distinguishing the clinical nurse specialist from other graduate nursing roles.Clin Nurse Spec. 2018; 32: 139-151
- The clinical nurse leader and the clinical nurse specialist.J Emerg Nurs. 2017; 43: 356-357
- A collaborative model for the CNL and CNS.Nurs Manage. 2015; 46: 11-14
- Clinical Nurse Leaders and Clinical Nurse Specialists: Harmonious Partners.American Nurse, 2014 (Available at:)https://www.myamericannurse.com/clinical-nurse-leaders-and-clinical-nurse-specialists-harmonious-partners/Date accessed: September 25, 2021
- Confusion, concern, or complimentary function: The overlapping roles of the clinical nurse specialist and the clinical nurse leader.Nurs Adm Q. 2008; 32 (301-301)
- Clinical nurse leader and clinical nurse specialist role delineation in the acute care setting.J Nurs Adm. 2007; 37: 429-431
- Clinical nurse specialists: then, now, and the future of the profession.Clin Nurse Spec. 2013; 27: 96-102
- Differentiating the CNS and CNL roles.Nurs Manage. 2011; 42: 51-54
- King C. Gerard S. Rapp C. Clinical Nurse Leader Certification Review. 3rd ed. Springer Publishing, New York, NY2020
- Talking Points: AACN Board Decisions Regarding the CNL Initiative.(Available at:)
- Implementing the clinical nurse leader role in a large hospital network.Nurse Leader. 2017; 15: 276-280
- Competencies and Curricular Expectations for Clinical Nurse Leader Education and Practice.(Available at:)https://www.aacnnursing.org/Portals/42/News/White-Papers/CNL-Competencies-October-2013.pdfDate: 2013Date accessed: November 17, 2021
Biography
Kimberly Pate, DNP, RN, ACCNS-AG, PCCN-K, is director of policy and professional development at Atrium Health’s Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. She can be reached at [email protected] Veronica Rankin, DNP, RN-BC, NP-C, CNL, NE-BC, is director of nursing excellence at Atrium Health’s Carolinas Medical Center.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 23, 2022
Accepted:
March 7,
2022
Received:
January 23,
2022
Footnotes
Note: This initiative did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. The authors express their sincere gratitude to the Central Market Clinical Nurse Specialist and Clinical Nurse Leader teams. Without their strong focus on identifying opportunities in patient care, continuous implementation of evidence-based initiatives, and dedication to their patients, this article would not be possible. Also, a sincere thank you to the senior leadership team at Atrium Health’s Carolinas Medical Center and Atrium Health Mercy for their ongoing support of both roles.
Identification
Copyright
2022 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
