Anyone graduated from a clinical nurse leader program?

Nursing Students Post Graduate

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I'm applying to a direct-entry clinical nurse leader program right now and I'm curious to know whether there are any students or graduates of such programs out there that can talk about their experience. I know it's a very new program and the information on it from the AACN seems somewhat vague. I'm wondering what people are actually doing with the degree or plan to do with it. Thanks!

CNL is not an APRN. There are 4 titles that make up an APRN; NP, CNS, CNM, CRNA. That does not mean that a CNL is not advnaced just not under the umbrella of APRN. Check out the below website as proof. The AACN offers a decent definition for a CNL as well.

http://www.aacn.nche.edu/education/pdf/APRNReport.pdf

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merellis2009 (or anyone who is in the cnl program at mcg),

i am interested in taking the cnl program at mcg...i graduated with an exercise science major at gsu back in 2004 and i have decided that nursing is now my calling. i am glad i waited because i initially was going to go back to school for a bachelors or associates degree in nursing. i was ecstatic to hear that the medical college of ga was offering a masters in nursing.

can you offer me any advice to apply into the program? what is the interview like?

thank you so much for all your previous advice =)

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OH MY, I'm so glad I read this post....I am interested in finding out more info about the CNL program for students with non-nursing Bachelors at MCG. I am highly considering apply next year and have information from the school but would be very interested in getting a students prespective of the program. Do you work and take classes? I also noted on the website that 50% of the classes are online. How are the teachers?

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aren't clinical nurse leader and clinical nurse specialist the same?:nurse::idea:

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Specializes in progressive care telemetry.

No, CNL and CNS are 2 different roles:

(from the AACN website)

Q: How is a Clinical Nurse Leader different from a Clinical Nurse Specialist or other advanced practice nurse?

The CNL is not prepared as an advanced practice nurse (APN) as the APN is currently defined. The CNL is an advanced generalist in contrast with the specialized focus of the practice by clinical nurse specialists (CNS) and nurse practitioners. Advanced practice nurses are prepared with specialist education in a defined area of practice. The CNL and APN roles complement one another. For example, the CNL may call on the CNS to provide consultation when a specialist area of concern arises (i.e. when a patient does not respond to nursing care or therapeutics as expected). AACN, in consultation with a leading group of CNSs, has developed a document, The CNL-CNS Roles: Similarities, Differences and Complementarities. http://www.aacn.nche.edu/CNL/pdf/CNSComparisonTable.pdf

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I am enrolled in the Clinical Nurse leader program in Central Methodist university. I have not seen any advertisement for clinical nurse leaders locally. One of the local hospitals frequently creates positions as they see fit. I hope there will be a position close so I don't have to leave home to find a job.

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We've had a Direct Entry CNL program at the University of Virginia since 2005. We are enrolling our sixth cohort this weekend. We've graduated 3 cohorts so far.

Our Direct Entry CNL grads are going into Nurse Residency programs and other programs for new RNs when they graduate. But at most institutions, they are rising more quickly up the clinical ladder than are BSN-prepared new grads. Several members of the 2007 and 2008 classes have entered PHD and DNP programs, and more have enrolled in Advanced Practice preparation programs (NP, CNS, CRNA, and CNM).

Outside of the Veterans Administration system, there are not many job titles of 'Clinical Nurse Leader'. Our philosophy at UVa is that the CNL is not a job title, but an enhanced skill set and outlook that enables a graduate to be a leader at the point of care in whatever setting (inpatient or outpatient).

We've had such good experience with the CNL program over the past 5 years that we are launching BSN-CNL as well as an ADN-CNL entries this year.

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Are you done with your program and did you find a job?

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I was told by admissions director at USF that all California hospitals will be required to have a CNL in each unit within the next 2 years.

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I know this topic is a lil daunting and probs exhausted by now. But this is the basic of it....

A CNL is basically a clinical pathway coordinator. Which will improve patient safety as well as patient outcomes.

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albeit a bit late on these postings....i'm enrolled in an online CNL program and i'm 3/4 done with the coursework and now deciding I may have made a mistake taking the course. I have been an RN for 21 years all of which were worked in a large teaching hospital. The CNL role is taking on a glorified case manager role in our neck of the woods and that's not what I want to do. Also, the course work was heavily focused on clinical aspect of patient care: advanced patho, advanced pharm, advanced physical assessments, H/P recording, stats, theory, research, informatics, health care quality, etc. Now that i'm at the end my capstone project....i'm very disappointed that I didn't pursue the FNP programs and i'm looking to transfer.

If you want to take care of patients, the CNL role is probably not for you. The CNL will oversee a population of patients to make sure they are on the right trajectory of care. Also, for those of you considering this degree and have never been a nurse????? what are you thinking?

:nurse:

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albeit a bit late on these postings....i'm enrolled in an online CNL program and i'm 3/4 done with the coursework and now deciding I may have made a mistake taking the course. I have been an RN for 21 years all of which were worked in a large teaching hospital. The CNL role is taking on a glorified case manager role in our neck of the woods and that's not what I want to do. Also, the course work was heavily focused on clinical aspect of patient care: advanced patho, advanced pharm, advanced physical assessments, H/P recording, stats, theory, research, informatics, health care quality, etc. Now that i'm at the end my capstone project....i'm very disappointed that I didn't pursue the FNP programs and i'm looking to transfer.

If you want to take care of patients, the CNL role is probably not for you. The CNL will oversee a population of patients to make sure they are on the right trajectory of care. Also, for those of you considering this degree and have never been a nurse????? what are you thinking?

:nurse:

I am considering an entry-level masters without any prior nursing experience for one reason: better chance of getting hired once entering the job market. Sure, many employers may not have a "CNL position" just yet, but since most CNLs begin as staff nurses anyway, would they beat out a non-experienced BSN graduate in a competitive job market because they have that Masters?

I want to be an FNP too. I wonder if I should go through the BSN then work then try for a FNP degree, or get a MSN in this CNL thing (which could really just apply itself as a generalist bedside nurse with a Masters, no?) and then make the route to FNP shorter after working some years by completing a post-certificate in FNP?

What do you think? You have more experience in medicine than me. I am a preschool teacher.

Thanks!

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