Nurse Specialist Education Research Articles

Designing Podcasts for Clinical Nurse Specialist Education

Designing Podcasts for Clinical Nurse Specialist Education

The Evolution of Clinical Nurse Specialist Education at Widener University

The Evolution of Clinical Nurse Specialist Education at Widener University

Infection control nurse specialist education in Korea

With the amendment of the Medical Service Act in 2003, the infection control nurse specialist system was launched as one of several specialties for nursing in Korea. Nurse specialists are certified through the national qualifying examination after graduating from a specialist nursing program with core and specialty courses at a graduate school approved by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. This article describes graduate preparation and certification for infection control nurse specialists in Korea.

Moving Clinical Nurse Specialist Practice and Education Forward

Moving Clinical Nurse Specialist Practice and Education Forward

Developing an Empirical Base for Clinical Nurse Specialist Education

This article reports on the design of a clinical nurse specialist (CNS) education program using National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS) CNS competencies to guide CNS program clinical competency expectations and curriculum outcomes. The purpose is to contribute to the development of an empirical base for education and credentialing of CNSs. The NACNS CNS core competencies and practice competencies in all 3 spheres of influence guided the creation of clinical competency grids for this university's practicum courses. This project describes the development, testing, and application of these clinical competency grids that link the program's CNS clinical courses with the NACNS CNS competencies. These documents guide identification, tracking, measurement, and evaluation of the competencies throughout the clinical practice portion of the CNS program. This ongoing project will continue to provide data necessary to the benchmarking of CNS practice competencies, which is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of direct practice performance and the currency of graduate nursing education.

In Search of Advanced Clinical Nurse Specialist Education

In Search of Advanced Clinical Nurse Specialist Education

Expanding Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Nurse Specialist Education

Programs educating advanced practice nurses (APNs), including acute care nurse practitioners (ACNPs) and clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) may struggle with the degree to which technical and cognitive skills necessary and unique to the care of critically ill patients should be incorporated within training programs, and the best ways these skills can be synthesized and retained for clinical practice. This article describes the critical care technical skills training mechanisms and use of a High-Fidelity Human Simulation (HFHS) Laboratory in the ACNP and CNS programs at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. The mechanisms for teaching invasive procedures are reviewed including an abbreviated course syllabus and documentation tools. The use of HFHS is discussed as a measure to provide students with technical and cognitive preparation to manage critical incidents. The HFHS Laboratory, scenario development and implementation, and the debriefing process are discussed. Critical care technical skills training and the use of simulation in the curriculum have had a favorable response from students and preceptors at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, and have enhanced faculty's ability to prepare APNs.

Guidelines for Clinical Nurse Specialist Education

A recent survey of clinical nurse specialist (CNS) programs found significant differences among the programs in the number of classroom and clinical hours required and some variation in curricular content. To address these differences, the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS) developed Guidelines for Clinical Nurse Specialist Education and charged the Education Committee of NACNS with testing and refining them. This article describes the methods used by the Education Committee to test and refine the Guidelines and presents the finalized document. The 18 Guidelines provide quality indicators for CNS programs in the areas of organization and faculty, program admissions, curriculum, clinical resources and experiences, and program evaluation. NACNS recommends that these Guidelines be used in addition to accreditation standards to evaluate CNS programs and to guide development of new CNS programs.

Development and Implementation of an Online CNS Program

Online educational programs are rapidly increasing in all fields. This article describes a private university's online clinical nurse specialist graduate program that included supervised clinical practicum experiences. The program was designed using the 1998 National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS) Statement on Clinical Nurse Specialist Practice and Education as a curriculum guide. Issues that occur with online program development/design, implementation, and evaluation are described and solutions are presented. The online education program for clinical nurse specialists faced challenges; however, faculty and students agreed that this innovative program is a success.

Notes From the Board

NACNS.Statement on Clinical Nurse Specialist Practice and Education. Second Edition, Newly Revised! This document articulates the core competencies requisite to CNS practice, outlines the outcomes of CNS practice, and provides direction to schools of nursing regarding the preparation of CNSs. Endorsed by the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) as “a comprehensive reflection of the contemporary role that Clinical Nurse Specialists play in the delivery of quality nursing care,” this new and updated version contains information for contemporary clinical nurse specialist practice and education. You can purchase your copy through the NACNS Office at a cost of $25 per copy for members of NACNS and $45 per copy for nonmembers. Discounts are offered on purchases of 15 copies or more. Contact the NACNS Office today to order your copy of the Statement.

Clinical Nurse Specialist Practice—Spheres of Influence

Many nurses are uncertain of the differences in the educational backgrounds and practice domains of clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) and nurse practitioners (NPs). This uncertainty may make it difficult for perioperative nurses to select the advanced practice role that is most congruent with their career goals and interests. The National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists developed the Statement on Clinical Nurse Specialist Practice and Education, which provides an organizing framework for the CNS practice role. This article offers distinctions between the educational experiences of CNSs and NPs and suggestions for perioperative CNS practice.

Role Preservation of the Clinical Nurse Specialist and the Nurse Practitioner

The following manuscript explores the historical development, as well as current and future roles of advanced practice nursing with specific emphasis on the clinical nurse specialist and the nurse practitioner. The term advanced practice nursing is based on the definition provided by the American Nurses Association (ANA). A statement originating from the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialist provides the spheres of influence framework used in the critical analysis of the competencies, as well as implications for practice, role development, and scopes of practice for the clinical nurse specialist. Nurse practitioner education and development is based on the curriculum guidelines and program standards as developed by the National Organization of Nurse Practitioners. ADVANCED NURSING PRACTICE AND ISSUES OF A NEW MILLIEUM Historically advanced practice roles have lacked clarity. 1,2 Confusion regarding the educational preparation, titles, roles, and functions hampered understanding for quite some time.3 Harrell and McCullock 4 identified that words such as “specialist” or “advanced” were used to describe nursing roles without respect to educational or experiential backgrounds created confusion in the discussion of advanced practice nursing. Some institutions were using individuals with less than graduate level education in advanced practice roles, while others with graduate degrees lacked certification (American Association of Colleges of Nursing. 5 The educational background of the advanced practice nurse (APN) varied from state to state. These issues proved to be confusing for institutional management, nursing personnel, health care team members, as well as clients. Great strides have been made by the nursing profession to alleviate confusion, provide continuity and insure quality educational preparation for the advanced practice nurse. The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners has developed a number of statements that addressed standards of practice, curriculum and roles. 6,7,8 The American Nurses Association (ANA) 9 developed the Scope and Standards of Advanced Practice Registered Nursing in 1995, and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) 10 produced The Essentials of Master's Education for Advanced Practice Nursing in 1996. That same year the ANA 11 published the Model Practice Act, a document that provided states with a recommendation for the incorporation of APNs into the mix of healthcare providers. The National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS) 12 produced their Statement on Clinical Nurse Specialist Practice and Education in late 1998. This document provided a solid base from which to clearly identify the clinical nurse specialist from other advanced practice nurses. The AACN 5 published its position statement on Certification and Regulation of Advanced Practice Nurses in 1998. Collectively these efforts provided the backbone for consistency among the advanced practice nurse population.

A transcultural core course in the clinical nurse specialist curriculum.

For the nursing profession, the delivery of culturally congruent care must become a priority. Clinical nurse specialists are in a key position to promote change; however, formal preparation in transcultural care is urgently needed. Nurse educators are challenged to prepare clinical nurse specialists who are equipped to provide quality care to culturally diverse individuals and to collaborate with a multicultural workforce. The purpose of this article is to describe a transcultural core course in the clinical nurse specialist adult health curriculum. The course explores current issues in pluralism, diversity, and healthcare in relationship to clinical nurse specialist competencies. The article addresses the course components, including objectives, topics, teaching strategies, assignments, bibliography, class Web page, and course evaluation. A unique component is the evaluation of students' self-efficacy perceptions (confidence) concerning culture care of diverse individuals as measured by a psychometrically valid instrument, the Transcultural Self-Efficacy Tool. The article concludes with future implications for clinical nurse specialist education.

Early discharge after nurse specialist education and planning plus follow up visits and telephone calls was cost effective for high risk pregnant women and their newborn infants

York R, Brown LP, Samuels P, et al. A randomized trial of early discharge and nurse specialist transitional follow-up care of high-risk childbearing women. Nurs Res1997 Sep/Oct; 46 : 254...