Question

Identify the educational preparation and role(s) of the clinical nurse leader (CNL) designation. Give an example of how the CNL influences direct patient care whether in a hospital or out in the community.

Answer 1

The nurse manager or nurse leader should consider the internal forces. The nurse manager can manage the internal environment. The internal climate that exists within a facility can determine the ability of the staff to accept change in a positive manner. The aim of the CNL is to utilize a master prepared nurse to practice across the continuum of care within diverse healthcare setting in today’s changing healthcare environment (AACN, 2013). The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) white paper in 2007 proposed a new role in nursing: Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) to improve the health care outcomes (Sotomayor, 2017). According to the AACN (2013, pg. 4-5), "the foundation of aspects of CNL practice include:

1.Clinical leadership for patient-care practices and delivery, including the design,

coordination, and evaluation of care for individuals, families, groups, and populations.

2.Participation in the identification and collection of care outcomes.

3.Accountability for evaluation and improvement of point-of-care outcomes, including the synthesis of data and other evidence to evaluate and achieve optimal outcomes.

4.Risk anticipation for individuals and cohorts of patients.

5.Lateral integration of care for individuals and cohorts of patients.

6.Design and implementation of evidence-based practice(s).

7.Team leadership, management, and collaboration with other health professional team Members.

8.Information management or the use of information systems and technologies to improve healthcare outcomes.

9.Stewardship and leveraging of human, environmental, and material resources.

10.Advocacy for patients, communities, and the health professional team".

In the Sotomayor’s report (2017), from 2010 to 2015, CNLs led substantial improvement in the incidence of patient falls, catheter-associated urinary tract infection, central line-associated blood stream infection, and hospital-acquired pressure ulcer on medical-surgical units. The CNLs are able to detect issues of the environment, cooperate with other health professionals, lead the health care team and comply with the trend in providing quality care and changes to improve the care in the diverse healthcare settings.

References:

AACN. (2013). Competencies and Curricular Expectations for Clinical Nurse Leader Education and Practice. Retrieved from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/cnl/CNL-Competencies-October-2013.pdf.

Sotomayor, G (2017). CNE SERIES. Clinical Nurse Leaders: Fulfilling the Promise of the Role. MEDSURG Nursing, 26(1), 21-32.

Retrieved from http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=415d8048-5d08-41df-945e-e66ab320dffc%40sessionmgr4006&vid=4&hid=4205.