• E-mail
• Print
• RSS

New nursing role transforms patient care and work environment

Nurse Leader Weekly, February 24, 2005

Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Nurse Leader Weekly!

Healthcare organizations are beginning to pilot a new nursing position-the clinical nurse leader (CNL), to improve patient care and interdisciplinary teamwork. The CNL is a master's prepared nurse who oversees patient care coordination and actively provides direct care in complex situations. Other CNL responsibilities include

• Ensuring providers put evidence-based practice into action so patients benefit from the latest innovations in care delivery
  
• Overseeing patient outcomes and functioning as part of an interdisciplinary team by directly communicating, planning, and implementing care with other healthcare professionals
  
• Offering additional support to nurses to transform the patient care delivery model   

Like many organizations, Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington, VT, plans to develop a similar role, says Katherine Riley, BSN, RN, director, integrated clinical services and Magnet coordinator.

Riley envisions that the nurse will typically oversee 12-18 patients. The CNL must be a clinical expert for the patient population he or she coordinates and should possess strong communication skills to establish positive interdisciplinary relationships.
     
Some believe the clinical nurse leader's role is similar to that of the case manager, but most healthcare organizations' case managers are burdened with a large caseload-many more than the 12-18 patients the clinical nurse leader will ideally manage. Also, healthcare facilities have been placing a greater emphasis on resource utilization in case management, which differs from the focus of the new clinical nurse leader role, says Riley.  

"The clinical nurse leader will really be the care manager of those patients, overseeing the care prescribed and delivered, ensuring coordination of care, and the seamless handoff as the patient transitions through the healthcare system," says Riley. "I think it is an exciting role if it is operationalized appropriately."

Source: Adapted from Strategies for Nurse Managers (January 2005), published by HCPro, Inc.

Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to Nurse Leader Weekly!

• E-mail to a Colleague
• Print
• RSS
• Archive