The clinical nurse leader: a response from practice.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Leadership
• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Change

Background:

• A 2003 conference convened by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing discussed the emerging role of the clinical nurse leader.
• This article presents a practice setting's response, detailing a comparable role: the team coordinator.
• The team coordinator role has been implemented across five hospitals within an integrated healthcare system.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the team coordinator role with the clinical nurse leader role to aid in visualizing its practical application.
• To identify common drivers for implementing new nursing leadership roles, such as enhancing patient outcomes and nurse retention.
• To share lessons learned from the implementation and evaluation of the team coordinator role.

Main Methods:

• A comparative analysis was conducted between the team coordinator role's four domains of practice and the clinical nurse leader's 15 core competencies.
• An evaluation of the team coordinator role was performed to identify areas for improvement.
• Lessons learned from the implementation process were documented.

Main Results:

• The team coordinator role shares similar driving forces with the clinical nurse leader role, including improving patient outcomes and nurse retention.
• Crosswalking the roles revealed areas needing adjustment, specifically emphasizing the clinical progression of patients.
• Key implementation insights include managing role scope, establishing documentation standards, and the necessity of nursing executive leadership.

Conclusions:

• The team coordinator role serves as a practical model for understanding and implementing advanced nursing leadership positions.
• Continuous evaluation and adaptation are crucial for the success of new nursing roles.
• Strong nursing executive support is vital for driving and sustaining organizational change in healthcare leadership.