Please explain what a CNS/CNL is to me?

I've never heard of an official credential for a CNL, but according to a previous thread here it stands for Clinical Nurse Leader and is being considered as an advanced practice nurse credential.

Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) are licensed registered nurses who have graduate preparation (Master or Doctorate) in nursing as a Clinical Nurse Specialist.

Clinical Nurse Specialists are expert clinicians in a specialized area of nursing practice. The specialty may be identified in terms of:

A Population (e.g. pediatrics, geriatrics, women’s health)

A Setting (e.g. critical care, emergency room)

A Disease or Medical Subspecialty (e.g. diabetes, oncology)

A Type of Care (e.g. psychiatric, rehabilitation)

A Type of Problem (e.g. pain, wounds, stress)

Clinical Nurse Specialists practice in a wide variety of health care settings.

In addition to providing direct patient care, Clinical Nurse Specialists influence care outcomes by providing expert consultation for nursing staffs and by implementing improvements in health care delivery systems.

Clinical Nurse Specialist practice integrates nursing practice, which focuses on assisting patients in the prevention or resolution of illness, with medical diagnosis and treatment of disease, injury and disability.

Research about Clinical Nurse Specialist practice demonstrates

outcomes such as:

Reduced Hospital Costs and Length of Stay

Reduced Frequency of Emergency Room Visits

Improved Pain Management Practices

Increased Patient Satisfaction with Nursing Care

Reduced Medical Complications in Hospitalized Patients