Stohler - Philosophy of Clinical Nurse Leader When I was looking for a masters program to enroll into, I wanted one

that portrayed my philosophy of nursing. I found the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) role to be exactly what I envisioned an advanced practice nurse to include. The CNL is an emerging nursing role developed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and must be educated at the masters degree level. Since its inception in 2007, the education process builds on the traditional BSN program. The education must include economics, environmental science, epidemiology, genetics, gerontology, global perspectives, informatics, organizations and systems, and communications. Clinical experiences allow the nurse to apply their knowledge and skills of basic nursing concepts and begin applying other appropriate theories and models with ethical frameworks that are research-based. The CNL role is aimed at managing a distinct population group through day-by-day management of clinical issues and decisions and focusing on patient outcomes. My feeling is that being influential in my little corner of the world can help improve healthcare everywhere. The CNL functions as a clinical generalist, providing and managing care in the direct care setting to patients, individuals, families, and communities primarily within clinical microsystems which are small functional front-line units such as a hospital unit, outpatient clinic or home health agency. As the role emerges, it is being further developed and has been found to keep the core focuses of quality, safety and outcomes related to patient care. It is these focus points that have drawn my interest. The CNL designs, implements, and evaluates client care by coordinating, delegating and supervising the care provided by the health care team no matter what setting it is found.

My enjoyment of the bedside nurse is what I feel my role in nursing is. The CNL role is not one of administration or management. However, the bedside nurse does not work in a bubble and must interact with others, so as a CNL I can coordinate care, decrease the fragmentation and ensure seamless, safe care. They do this by working with the multidisciplinary care team to provide quality care to a specific group of patients. The role is clinically focused - basing the care and coordination on concepts found in critical thinking skills, communication techniques and assessment skills utilizing strong ethical values. As a leadership role, the CNL complements the roles of nursing administration and education. The CNL provides care at the point of care to individuals across the lifespan with particular emphasis on health promotion and risk reduction services. Client and community advocacy is a hallmark of the CNL role. Through altruism, the CNL advocates for improvement in the institution or health care system and the nursing profession. By involvement in policies, procedures and reforms locally and nationally, the CNL strives to obtain human dignity, integrity, accountability and social justice for patients. Patients are at a time in their lives when they need someone who can help them negotiate the system safely and effectively I am that person. The CNL is a leader in the health care delivery system in all settings in which health care is delivered. Although this position is broadly defined, this clinician functions as part of an inter-professional team by communicating, planning, and implementing care directly with other health care professionals. The CNL takes into account all the aspects of illness and disease management, health promotion, risk reduction, and disease prevention. Utilizing information and health care technologies the CNL is able to incorporate all aspects of the job description into a new, innovative and necessary part of todays evolving healthcare system.

References AACN. (2007). White paper on the education and role of the clinical nurse leader Haase-Herrick, K. & Ott K. (2006) AACN working statement comparing the CNL& nurse manager roles Harris, J. & Roussel, L. (2010) Initiating and sustaining the clinical nurse leader role: a practical guide. Jones and Bartlett Spross, J., Hamric, A., Hall, G., Minarik, P., Sparacino, P. & Stanley, J. (2004), AACN, working statement comparing the CNL and CNS roles Stanley, J. (2008) Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) frequently asked questions, AACN