Clinical Nurse Leaders: Opinion of role, who's doing it, and other opinions...

[swampkitty421]

Hello! I am currently trying to decide between the Accelerated Nursing program (NKU) and the Generic Master's in Nursing/CNL (Xavier). I feel that both programs will be very great, but I want to know if the CNL/generic Master's degree is all its cracked up to be. I am looking to make a career change to an RN and want to make the best decision based on facts. If it is of any importance, I ultimately want to become a CNS, so I don't know how the master's will play into or toward that goal. That being said, I am looking for people who are in the CNL programs, are working as CNLs: how's it going for you? Secondly, I would like to ask others for their opinion on this developing role, what do you all think? I am really struggling with both ideas...

It boils down to being that I want a degree where people will look at me and say, "I know what you can do," rather than how they look at me now with my BA in Sociology, "what the heck is that degree for?"

[elkpark]

There are a couple other current threads about this topic (and some older ones) -- I'm sure they would be easy to find with the "search" feature.

[swampkitty421]

thanks, I have looked at many of them. I'm trying to get current intel, especially from the people who recently graduated... the first class was 2007, so now (presumably) they're working... just fishing around, that's all.

[merellis2009]

I'm a recent graduate from the first CNL program at my school. Like a previous poster mentioned, just use the search feature and search for "CNL" or "clinical nurse leader." You can also use google and run a search for "AACN white papers clinical nurse leader" to see the official description of the role as written by the AACN, the folks who put it together. I don't mean to seem lazy by telling you just to search for older threads, but the info is already out there unless you have a specific question you have in mind, then I would be happy to answer... Cheers!