Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) Area of Concentration

The CNL is a new nursing role developed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) to improve the quality of patient care and better prepare nurses to thrive in the complex healthcare arena. It is designed for the nurse who wants to make changes in nursing while remaining at the bedside. The University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing offers the Master of Science for the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) online as well as onsite.

• What is a Clinical Nurse Leader
• What Does the CNL Do?
• CNL Online

What is a Clinical Nurse Leader?

The healthcare industry is facing numerous challenges. These challenges include identifying improved ways to coordinate care across the continuum of health care service, improving patient safety, delivering effective and efficient care in a fiscally responsible manner and testing innovative methods to achieve these goals. The CNL role was created to be a key partner in addressing these challenges.

The CNL is a leadership role designed for nurses who want to make a difference in the clinical setting or provide leadership in educating others to gain these skills. The CNL assumes responsibility for patient care outcomes by coordinating and supervising the care provided by interdisciplinary team members. The CNL role includes development of skills in precepting, mentoring, and coaching and can be applied in educational as well as clinical settings.

Upon graduation, candidates are eligible to sit for certification through The Commission on Nurse Certification (CNC) which is the autonomous arm of AACN responsible for all certification functions. The CNL certification is based upon a national standard of requisite knowledge and experiences, thereby assisting employers, the public and members of the health professions in the assessment of a CNL. (AACN website).

What Does the CNL Do?

The role of the CNL encompasses the following broad areas:

• Clinician: designer/coordinator/evaluator of care to individuals, families, and groups; able to competently deliver care to complex patients across the lifespan and continuum of care.
• Outcomes manager: synthesizes data, information and knowledge to evaluate and achieve optimal patient outcomes with emphasis on health promotion and risk reduction.
• Client advocate: adept at ensuring that clients and families are well-informed and included in care planning. The CNL identifies potential equity and justice issues in the delivery of client care.
• Educator: uses appropriate principles, strategies and information to teach clients, groups and other health care professionals;
• Information manager: able to use information systems and technology to improve health care outcomes;
• Systems analyst/Risk anticipator: able to critically evaluate and anticipate risks to patient safety with the aim of preventing medical errors.
• Team Manager: able to properly delegate and manage the nursing team resources (human and fiscal) and serve as a partner in the interdisciplinary care team.
• Member of a Profession: effects change in healthcare practice, healthcare outcomes and the profession.

CNL Online

Building on the strength and reputation of its graduate programs, the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing is offering a Master of Science for the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) online as well as onsite.

The interactive online classroom, led by the excellent University of Pittsburgh faculty, provides opportunities for active learning, discussion, problem solving, debating, critical thinking, research, networking, and community building.

All courses can be completed online except for the Clinical Practicum, comprised of 420 hours, which can be completed at a healthcare facility near your home. Pitt Online’s mission is to provide graduate professional programs of the same quality, taught by the same faculty, with the same superb level of support services as their counterparts offered to resident students enrolled on the Pittsburgh Campus. See www.online.pitt.edu for additional information.

At this time, the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing IS AUTHORIZED to enroll online students from most US states. Pursuant to state laws and regulations, however, we are currently unable to admit online students from selected states. Please see: (http://www.online.pitt.edu/news/StateInfo.php). If your state is listed as one where we cannot enroll students, please contact Pitt Online (online@pitt.edu or 412-648-9499) to determine if the status has changed.