Clinical nurse leaders----

Whats your experience with nurses in this role? Do you think this is a role thats going to expand? Ive been asked to consider doing this with hospital paying for school.

What do you guys think about the CNL position and its future?
Ha, I just posted something similar in another forum. If your hospital is asking you to go back for it, I would assume they will have positions open - that's always a good sign!

Thanks ShanAnyone else ?

I am a Clinical Nurse Leader on a busy Med-Surg floor. This is definitely an expanding role. We transitioned from the charge nurse role into the Nurse Leader role. The role has expanded into more than just a supervisory role. We are an extension of our manager.

I would do it if its free and interests you. It has been a while since I have had to deal with them but my big complaint with these programs is that most of the graduates have no nursing experience. This is a fast track so they are graduating with their Masters and a hefty dose of delegation skills. As a floor RN attempting to orient these new nurses, many who had never even given an IM injection prior to hitting the floor, in most cases their lofty idea of the value of their advanced degree overshadowed their ability to learn from a lowly BSN. I have worked with two who were humble and presented as a typical new grad with zero experience and an interest in learning from the ground up but unfortunately that was the exception rather than rule. It doesn't sound like this will apply to you since you already have the foundation so again if its free I'd do it. Good luck.

The Clinical Nurse Leaders at our facility are not from a program. They are experienced floor nurses that are wanting to have more responsibility and have leadership skills that are necessary. We do have a training program that is in-house for Nurse Leaders, and the requirement is at least a BSN.

Thanks all. I have had experience with CNLs with limited experience--not helpful at all to me as a floor nurse. More often CNLs have a masters specializing in CNL training. When CNLs were first introduced. I didnt actually think it was a role that would stick. Seems like it is though

Tookalongtime-did you get the degree plan? Its interesting that different hospitald do things so differently Our cnls work more on pt care collaboration with the staff and drs, discharge plans and avoiding readmissions. The manager has some input into their duties but they report to a corporate superviser

I am in a CNL program as an experienced RN. The CNL role is the right blend of "specialized and generalized" so that you don't get "pigeon-holed" into one area of nursing like the CNS, NP, Educator, etc. roles do. I anticipate that the implementation of the CNL role will expand further as more people figure out that they have a Master-Level-Educated Nurse who has outcomes management skills in both inpatient/outpatient settings, acute care/skilled, as well as the versatility to adapt and conform any Microsystem setting.

Quote from tookalongtimeThe Clinical Nurse Leaders at our facility are not from a program. They are experienced floor nurses that are wanting to have more responsibility and have leadership skills that are necessary. We do have a training program that is in-house for Nurse Leaders, and the requirement is at least a BSN.

My new job has a CNL who is new to the role. As far as I can see, she is an extension of the nurse manager. I don't work the same shift as her but she seems to do a lot of policy reviews, making sure our competencies are up to date, etc. It doesn't interest me, personally, but I understand it is a field with a lot of new growth potential.