Abstract
The purpose of this presentation is to share our journey in developing a new clinical nurse specialist (CNS) model to respond to a health system need for advancing nursing excellence across patient populations, specialties, and the continuum of care. Our goals were to optimize the work and span of the CNS, while staying true to the CNS core competencies. This model redesign allows for an equitable approach to meet the needs of a complex health system spanning two states with multiple hospitals and clinics that support community and rural healthcare. This model utilizes immersive and consultative strategies to partner with nurse leaders, frontline staff and other key stakeholders to influence practice across a large health system. These strategies invest and empower frontline nursing staff to execute practice priorities at the department level. The outcomes of this work resulted in providing category of one care, unparalleled patient experience, and high reliability processes. This CNS model has implications on the nursing profession to advance the practice and improve patient outcomes in community and rural healthcare settings where resources are limited. Leaders can utilize components of this model to optimize workforce planning and development for future models of care that span a variety of patient settings, populations, and specialties. It is a way for community-based health systems to creatively reimagine how the CNS role can transform care for today and tomorrow.
Notes
References:
Cavanaugh, K. J., Kronebusch, B. J., Luedke, T. C., & Pike, M. L. (2021). Reflections on Ambulatory Care Nursing and the Impact of the Clinical Nurse Specialist. Clinical Nurse Specialist, 35(1), 31–37. https://doi.org/10.1097/nur.0000000000000568
Curley, M. A. Q., Zalon, M. L., Seckel, M. A., Alexandrov, A. W., Sorce, L. R., Laura Beth Kalvas, Hooper, V. D., Balas, M. C., Vollman, K. M., Carr, D. S., Good, V. S., Latham, C. L., Carrington, J. M., Hardin, S. R., & Odom-Forren, J. (2024). Call to action: Blueprint for change in acute and critical care nursing. Nursing Outlook, 72(6), 102271–102271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2024.102271
Elgin, K. W. (2022). Visibility and Value of a Clinical Nurse Specialist Team: Illustrating Impact Through an Annual Report. Nurse Leader. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mnl.2021.12.020
Fischer-Cartlidge, E., Houlihan, N., & Browne, K. (2019). Building a Renowned Clinical Nurse Specialist Team. Clinical Nurse Specialist, 33(6), 266–272. https://doi.org/10.1097/nur.0000000000000482
Fulton, janet. (2021). Conceptual models for clinical nurse specialist role and practice . In clinical nurse specialist role and practice an international perspective (pp. 17–35). springer .
Fulton, J. S., Mayo, A., Walker, J., & Urden, L. D. (2019). Description of work processes used by clinical nurse specialists to improve patient outcomes. Nursing Outlook, 67(5), 511–522. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2019.03.001
Sigma Membership
Non-member
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Workforce, Leadership, Workforce Planning and Development, Clinical Nurse Specialist, CNS Model
Recommended Citation
Roper, Jade; Ries, Amy; Kronebusch, Beckie; McConnell, Lisa; and Moody, Rachel Ann, "Responding to a Health System Need: A New Clinical Nurse Specialist Model" (2025). Biennial Convention (CONV). 194.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/convention/2025/presentations_2025/194
Conference Name
48th Biennial Convention
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2025-12-05
Responding to a Health System Need: A New Clinical Nurse Specialist Model
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
The purpose of this presentation is to share our journey in developing a new clinical nurse specialist (CNS) model to respond to a health system need for advancing nursing excellence across patient populations, specialties, and the continuum of care. Our goals were to optimize the work and span of the CNS, while staying true to the CNS core competencies. This model redesign allows for an equitable approach to meet the needs of a complex health system spanning two states with multiple hospitals and clinics that support community and rural healthcare. This model utilizes immersive and consultative strategies to partner with nurse leaders, frontline staff and other key stakeholders to influence practice across a large health system. These strategies invest and empower frontline nursing staff to execute practice priorities at the department level. The outcomes of this work resulted in providing category of one care, unparalleled patient experience, and high reliability processes. This CNS model has implications on the nursing profession to advance the practice and improve patient outcomes in community and rural healthcare settings where resources are limited. Leaders can utilize components of this model to optimize workforce planning and development for future models of care that span a variety of patient settings, populations, and specialties. It is a way for community-based health systems to creatively reimagine how the CNS role can transform care for today and tomorrow.
Description
Join in our journey redesigning the clinical nurse specialist (CNS) model to respond to health system challenges for advancing nursing practice in community and rural healthcare where resources are limited. This model transforms practice today and tomorrow by optimizing the work and span of the CNS, and creates efficiencies across a complex health system spanning two states resulting in category of one care and quality outcomes for service line priorities in our health system.