Clinical Nurse Leader Role Chart

For decades, something was missing in patient care. Crucial quality and safety-improvement professionals involved in healthcare delivery were formerly not located in the places where care was actually provided. This often resulted in a disconnect that fragmented healthcare quality, safety, and improvement. According to Reid and Dennison, in their article The Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL)®: Point-of-Care Safety Clinician, “The role of the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL)® restores this vital connection. The CNL is a clinician who brings the locus of control for safe and quality care from the administrative areas straight to the unit’s providers who deliver the services. “

This paper aims to address and discuss about the leadership and management of the nurse leader interviewed. This experience was a great opportunity to witness first hand how a nurse leader cultivate and manage their staffs in real life setting. Moreover, it provides a great access to gain insight and knowledge about nurse leaders’ vital responsibilities and role diversities in the organizations they work with. Nurse leaders pay more specific and close attention in handling the staffs and most importantly, patient care.

When one thinks of leaders, they think of those who hold a high profile position or someone who is highly visible in the public eye. A leader, regardless of prestige is someone who can easily influence and inspire the actions and goals of others. The definition of a leader in Nursing Leadership and Management in Nursing states, “leadership is commonly defined as a process of influence in which the leader influences others towards goal achievement (Kelly, 2012 p.2). Leaders are needed at all levels and nurses take a leadership role by being advocates for their patients. There are many leadership theories and styles in nursing but this paper will focus on transformational leadership and its application to nursing. Transformational leadership is important in nursing, due to its ever changing and ever evolving healthcare methods and technology.

#3. It is 2025, identify the types of roles nurse leaders have in healthcare. You will want to discuss their scope and competencies they need to have to do the work.

My vision for nursing is a simple one. It is not grand or extravagant and therefore, should be easily attainable. The problem is, is that as with any vision, there will be obstacles along the way. I hope to be able to overcome these obstacles and make my vision become a reality. My vision is to establish a guideline to lower the nurse to patient ratios in acute care hospitals, so that the quality of care given to patients as well as employee satisfaction can be significantly raised.

In my future role as an advance practice nurse I will be spending my time interacting with patients discussing their complaints

Because patients need round-the-clock care, working hours include days, nights, weekends and holidays. Nurses spend considerable time walking, bending, stretching and standing, so they must follow proper body mechanics to guard against injury. Because of the fast-paced and variable environment of emergency rooms, ER Nurses must possess good stress coping skills and be able to relate to people of all ages and backgrounds. They must be able to work accurately around frequent interruptions. Nurses may face hazards from exposure to chemicals and infectious diseases. In addition, they treat patients that may be confused, irrational, agitated, and/or uncooperative. Along with all this you need. At a minimum for most entry-level emergency room (ER) nursing careers, applicants must have a diploma from an accredited

You make great points analyzing the evolution of Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL). It was interesting to learn that the CNL was the first new role in nursing since the nurse practitioner was introduced over many years ago. “The CNL evolved after the AACN convened a task force to identify ways to improve quality of patient care and determine how to prepare nurses with the skills and competencies needed to thrive in the current and future healthcare system” (Stavrianopoulos, 2012). In the health care organizations, CNLs play a significant role and are responsible for patient outcomes by applying evidence-based practices. They design, implement, and evaluate patient care by coordinating, delegating, and supervising the care provided by the healthcare

Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs) and Nurse Practitioners (NPs) are both considered advanced practice nurses (APNs) in Canada (Donald et al., 2010). Although these roles have existed in Canada for decades (Canadian Nurses Association, 2008), confusion still remains about the titles and exact roles that these professionals play (Donald et al., 2010). This paper will use the Saskatchewan Nursing Advanced Practice model as a framework to highlight the similarities and differences between both types of advanced practice nurse. The scope of practice, registration, education, practice settings, and effectiveness of CNSs and NPs will be examined. Although their roles overlap, CNSs and NPs have both been shown to be important members of the health care team (DiCenso & Bryant-Lukosius, 2010). Research has shown that adding CNSs and NPs to our health care system can increase patient satisfaction, decrease wait times, and decrease readmissions (DiCenso & Bryant-Lukosius, 2010). Increased public and health care professional awareness is needed to have these roles fully incorporated into our current health care system (DiCenso & Bryant-Lukosius, 2010).

Leadership at times can be a complex topic to delve into and may appear to be a simple and graspable concept for a certain few. Leadership skills are not simply acquired through position, seniority, pay scale, or the amount of titles an individual holds but is a characteristic acquired or is an innate trait for the fortunate few who possess it. Leadership can be misconstrued with management; a manager “manages” the daily operations of a company’s work while a leader envisions, influences, and empowers the individuals around them.

Before becoming middle managers, acute care nurse practitioners first need to establish a solid and reliable education background, which allows them to be experts in the field before managing a group of individuals to perform tasks to efficiently manage and run a demanding healthcare facility. The education needed to pursue certification as an acute care nurse practitioner is very competitive and requires individuals to go into graduate level in nursing. Since acute care practitioners are required to provide care to patients who are critically and chronically ill under life-threatening circumstances they must be competent, well trained and knowledgeable in the field and they also need to be nationally certified in order to continue practice. They must graduate from a master’s or post-master’s certified program and obtain their national certification which also includes completing 500 hours of clinical practice from an accredited master’s program in which they will go through formal training. The professional affiliations associated with this profession (Kleinpell, Perez, & McLaughlin, 2005). Through experience, educational background, and qualifications an acute care nurse practitioner can be promoted to a supervisor and move their way up to upper management if they meet the requirements necessary to best perform what is expected from them.

Most air medical businesses expect nurses to have at least 2 to 5 years of experience in emergency or critical care units, and the more trauma experience, the better. This means nurses that have a proven ability to manage multiple patients with vastly different conditions, as well as being able to make split-second decisions about patient care with maximum attention to patient care and safety. Flight Paramedics are expected to have a minimum three years current experience as a paramedic on an Advanced Life Support Team and/or Critical Care Transport

There are many skills, traits, and behaviors one must possess in order to be an effective leader. The American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) has compiled a list of competencies and skills that nurse leaders should be proficient in. The five competency domains identified by AONE (2011) are “communication and relationship building, knowledge of health care environment, leadership skills, professionalism, and business skills” (p. 3). The competency domain I believe is essential for one to possess in order to be an effective executive nurse leader is communication and relationship building. The competencies AONE (2011) listed under the domain communication and relationship building are “effective communication, relationship management, influence of behavior, ability to work with diversity, shared decision-making, community involvement, medical staff relationship, and academic relationships” (p.3). I will discuss how Tom (nurse manager of a psychiatric unit) did not meet these specific characteristics under that domain.

This RN must have at least three years of health care experience and has at least one certification in an area of expertise. The RN III also must be an active member of a committee within the hospital. Excellence is demonstrated in the nurse's ability to collaborate with the healthcare team and to plan and care for both their patient and the patient’s family needs. This level of RN is serves as a role model and provides guidance to other staff members within the unit.

When I spoke with Jessica I inquired more about the training and certifications required to work as an ER nurse and foster such skills. She informed me of the necessity of having ACLS and BLS certification, as well as of the VA’s specific trauma nurse courses. All members on the ED are also required to have a PMDB certification (Prevention and Management of Disruptive Behavior). She added that a majority of the nursing staff are certified as emergency nurses.