CLinical Nurse Expert

Mia415 · Nov 8, 2015

CNS is certainly a recognized position! My sister worked as one for almost 10 years :) if it helps shed some clarity, I can tell you about her role. She was working at her hospital as a NICU RN while completing her MSN degree. Once she finished her MSN and told the hospital she was looking for new leadership opportunities, they loved her 3+ years of work there, and created a Clinical Nurse Specialist position for her in their level 3 nicu (almost a level 4 really, so very complex nicu with very high risk patients). She had many varied responsibilities, but a lot of it included organizing ongoing education to staff RNs and also to perinatologist MDs regarding the most current evidence based information on nicu care, coordinating care with staff, families, DC planners, etc, organizing new staff training/preceptorships, and working on quality improvement/patient safety projects. Some days she was called upon to perform difficult skills such as aterial blood draws on premies less than 1000 grams when the nurse missed the first time. Another time she asked me to drop her off at a different hospital, I asked why, she explained they were have a meeting with 12 staff of nurses, doctors, and EMTs just so they could PLAN how they were going to transfer a baby from one nicu to another because this baby had SOO many lines and tubes and was at high risk of death during transport, so she organized a meeting just to plan and discuss the transfer. Soooo, I have so much respect for the complex role she played at the hospital. Not every unit needs a CNS obviously, because the duties can be accomplished by other staff and management on the unit. Other times, the complexities of everything that has to be done in order to ensure excellent care and excellently trained staff in specialty care, it is helpful to have a person designated to bring all those factors together and take that workload off of other management roles.

Hope that helps??

Pprwrk · Nov 9, 2015

That sounds amazing! But the position I am asking about is Clinical Nurse EXPERT. It seems like a fill-in for the Clinical Nurse Lead that my facility does NOT have. I was going back and forth on putting in for the position, because in the world of nursing it is not a REAL title. Also, if advocating for the nursing profession, shouldn't we stand up against this type of thing? I mean, if the facility should have CNL's, and it benefits patients to have actual CNL's who have ben educated for the role, then we should rally to have the REAL CNL hired? Obviously the facility cannot hire any at this point, but still sees the value in the role, and wants it filled by someone who can focus on QA, staff support, and staff education.

Jules A, MSN · Nov 9, 2015

Also, if advocating for the nursing profession, shouldn't we stand up against this type of thing? I mean, if the facility should have CNL's, and it benefits patients to have actual CNL's who have ben educated for the role, then we should rally to have the REAL CNL hired? Obviously the facility cannot hire any at this point, but still sees the value in the role, and wants it filled by someone who can focus on QA, staff support, and staff education.

While I agree that it is a cheap walk around I am so irritated with the multitude of nursing degrees, titles and initials that most of us can't even figure out that if I thought this would be an interesting position and the pay was good I'd go for it. It could open some doors down the road but I would be thoughtful in how you frame the actual title because it does sound silly, imo.

Mia415 · Nov 9, 2015

Oh I see, I just re read your question. I for one have not heard of a clinical nurse expert lol. i see what you are saying.

APRN., DNP, RN, APRN, NP · Nov 9, 2015

I can understand that employers need to create new job titles because they need work done and they have people capable of doing it -- but don't have anyone with the exact certification or degree title. Nursing creates so many new degree programs, roles, etc. so often that there are always new titles/roles/etc. out there that only a few people have. The CNL is a great example. The things that CNLs are educated to do have been a part of nursing practice for years -- and while I like the degree, you don't need a CNL degree to do that type of work. And it is unreasonable to expect that all those people with MSN's that are more than 10 years old are going to stop doing that type of work that they have been doing all those years. It takes time for a new degree to spread across the country and it's silly to discard all those capable people who don't have the "currently fashionable" degree title. Usually, by the time the role/degree title speads across the whole nation, schools have discontinued those programs and come up with a new favorite.
Compare nursing to other fields. While they have varieties of specialties, they are pretty stable. Nursing is not. We are constantly creating new labels -- and in the process, we disenfranchise all those who graduated under the old degree titles. Ridiculous.

WOW!! As someone like yourself who has spent a lot of time behind a desk getting to where you are, I would like to say "Way to insult all of the education that I went through for the past 18 months to get my MSN/Clinical Nurse Leader".

I have been a Nurse about 25 years.

I can assure you that at no point in any of my education as a nurse did the curriculum require that I take the advance level of classes that I took for my CNL program. Finance, Advance pharm/patho/assessments, research, informatics, healthcare policy, Project Management, etc. Neither did the Board of Registered Nursing, for that matter.

I am more involved in what the CNL does than merely from a student's point of view. I am also involved on the national level, and have input from across the US. The CNL is prepared at the Masters Level, and is a vital resource to the successful care of the patient.

I would encourage you to re-consider the stance of telling others that the CNL is basically the equivalent of what the ADN or BSN or other-prepared MSN can aspire to be if they just applied themselves a little more on the job (you don't need a CNL degree to do that type of workâ€). This can be interpreted to be demeaning towards those who have sat for the CNL exam.

Thank you for your thoughts - we are each entitled to express what we believe to be the truth. With what is coming out shortly from well-researched evidence, you may very well read the data that backs up what I am saying.

Jules A, MSN · Nov 9, 2015

Never mind.