Imagine yourself 10 years from now. What does your nursing career look like? After years of hands-on patient care, are you ready to step into a more advanced and impactful role? With so many advanced nursing roles to consider, finding the right path can be challenging.
If you’re dedicated to elevating the quality of care for your patients, the role of clinical nurse leader (CNL) might be the perfect fit for you. While you may not be directly interacting with patients as often, you’ll play a crucial role in guiding your team and ensuring they deliver exceptional care.
Today, we’ll explore what it means to be a clinical nurse leader, including the responsibilities of the role and what a typical day on the job looks like.
What Is a Clinical Nurse Leader?
The role of a clinical nurse leader was created by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) in 2007 to improve patient care outcomes. Initially, CNLs worked primarily in acute care settings, such as intensive care units and emergency departments, which focus on treating severe and immediate medical conditions. Over time, CNLs have expanded into other areas, including primary care, hospice, and long-term care.
According to the AACN, CNLs are master’s-prepared RNs who collaborate with a team of healthcare providers, including physicians and nurses, to ensure seamless patient care across different departments. Their primary goals are to improve the quality of patient care, reduce patient costs, and lower the chances of patient readmission.
What Are a CNL’s Primary Responsibilities?
A CNL’s responsibilities vary depending on their work environment and the unit they oversee, but generally consist of the following:
- Managing and coordinating patient care.
- Implementing evidence-based practices.
- Ensuring patients receive the latest advancements in care.
- Monitoring and evaluating patient outcomes.
- Assessing the risk within patient groups.
- Working with various departments to create and update patient care plans.
A Day in the Life of a Clinical Nurse Leader
Curious about what it really means to be a CNL? Step into the role for a day and experience the busy yet rewarding life of a clinical nurse leader:
- Check in with nursing staff
As the CNL of a 30-bed oncology unit, you oversee all patient care within the unit. Your day begins with a meeting with the nursing staff to address any immediate concerns or questions they might have about their patients.
- Participate in the daily discharge planning meeting
Next, you attend the discharge planning meeting to review patient discharges for the day. Collaborating with social workers and physicians, you identify patients with complex discharge needs and discuss strategies to prevent readmissions. This recent intervention, which you implemented, has successfully reduced patient readmissions by 30% over the past six months.
- Conduct rounds
You check in with nursing staff, their patients, and family members to ensure there are no complications and that each patient is receiving quality care.
- Improve patient outcomes
After a late lunch, you dedicate time to a new evidence-based intervention. Today, you’re working on the initial phase of implementing an anti-fall training program designed to reduce the number of falls in your unit.
- Lead a training session
Later that afternoon, you lead a team of nurses on a training that focuses on advanced techniques in patient communication.
- Run a final team debriefing
Before leaving, you conduct an evening huddle with the nursing staff on duty to recap the day’s events. You take the opportunity to acknowledge the team’s accomplishments and discuss any ongoing challenges they encountered.
Your Path to a Leadership Role in Nursing Starts at UTPB
In 2017, there were 5,500 clinical nurse leaders in the United States, and that number has continued to grow. If you’re interested in becoming a CNL, the first step is earning your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). After that, you’ll need to complete a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and pass the CNL certification exam.
If you’re an RN looking to pursue your BSN and potentially move into a leadership role, UTPB offers a 30-credit online RN to BSN program tailored for working RNs like you. We value your time and know how busy the role of a nurse can be, so only two of our clinical classes require an in-person format, where you’ll work alongside a local nurse preceptor of your choice. This flexible format allows you to hone your skills and prepare for more advanced future roles. The rest of your coursework is asynchronous, so you can complete it on your own schedule.
Ten years will have passed before you know it. Where will you be?
Take the first step toward your future and apply today.