is CNL (clinical nurse leader) a good path for new nurses?

RunBabyRN · Sep 18, 2014

Here in the Bay Area, new grads are having an impossible time, regardless of degree. I know at least UCSF is starting to require MSN for floor nurses, but experience is required for almost any position.

Other than that, I can't really speak to how hiring managers look at DEMSN students, but I'm sure others can. Good luck!

zzbxdo · Sep 18, 2014

Out of graduation, that cnl means nothing at all. In the west coast we don't use APNs nearly as much and efficiently compared to the east. I know UCLA offers it,their students have just as much of a hard time. Down the long run I don't know where it can take graduates. For the mean time I still see it as an add on to sell an expensive program to students.

N_u_r_s_e · Sep 18, 2014

Thank you, that was helpful. But to clarify..say I decided to go to the school that offered the entry level MSN- CNL path, I could still work as nurse at a hospital alongside everyone else that has a bsn right? It would just mean that I wasted a little time and $ going to a program that was longer bc it added on the CNL portion on top of the traditional RN curriculum

zzbxdo · Sep 18, 2014

Yeah. You pretty much need some bedside experience to be able to do anything after all.

smoup · Sep 18, 2014

Thank you, that was helpful. But to clarify..say I decided to go to the school that offered the entry level MSN- CNL path, I could still work as nurse at a hospital alongside everyone else that has a bsn right? It would just mean that I wasted a little time and $ going to a program that was longer bc it added on the CNL portion on top of the traditional RN curriculum

I will be graduating from a CNL program in December. Looking back, if I had to do it over again, I think I'd still choose the CNL program over the BSN program. Yes, it was more expensive but if I choose to go back for my DNP or the like, I already have some of the Master's courses out of the way, depending on the school I apply to of course. I also hope to work in the role of CNL, or at least use some of the competencies of a CNL some day.

But yes, after graduation I will be a staff nurse like anyone else who graduated from an ASN/BSN program.

llg, PhD, RN · Sep 18, 2014

I think the CNL path is a very attractive one. It provides a great foundation for practice -- providing what you need to for entry-level positions, but also giving the students what they need for "one step above" entry-level positions after they get a little experience under their belt.

We don't have a lot of CNL's in our area, but I wish we had more. The ones we have hired as new grads have been hired as staff nurses and they have done quite well. We hope to see more of them -- and hope that they will start filling some of the hard-to-fill vacancies we chronically have at my hospital. I'm talking about positions such as "staff educator" ... "program coordinator" ... "performance/quality improvement specialists" ... etc. Such positions often require (or prefer) a Master's Degree, but the universities are no longer offering the general MSN's that used to teach people the skills they need for such jobs. The DNP's are not focused in those directions. So we are hoping that the CNL's will fill that gap.

We are also hoping that the CNL's in staff nurse roles will eventually start rising to the top of unit-based committees trying to improve patient care and work environment, Shared Governance Councils, etc. Many staff nurses with less education feel intimidated and frustrated by that type of work because they haven't been well prepared for it.

So ... I am routing for the CNL programs to succeed as I think they have the potential to solve a lot of our current problems.

Good luck with whatever you decide.