Expanding the clinical specialist's role through outreach

Reimbursement changes within the health care system have continued to challenge nurse administrators to generate innovative strategies for cost-efficient and effective services. This has resulted in restructured delivery systems for patient care and newly developed services in nursing. A consultation/outreach program was developed to support the clinical nurse specialists (CNS) in their delivery of quality care and to provide services to surrounding rural hospitals while producing revenue for the department of nursing. For the hospital described, the institutional visibility has increased, new revenue has been generated, and the referral base for potential clients has been expanded.