The Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL)(R): point-of-care safety clinician

The vision for the Clinical Nurse Leader CNL(R) role began in 2003-2004 in response to the Institute of Medicine's quality and safety reports. The CNL was envisioned as a nurse who would provide direct clinical leadership at the point of care, working to insure that care delivery is safe, evidence-based, and targeted towards optimal quality outcomes for the cohort of clients served by the CNL. In this article the authors describe the background and intent of the CNL role and explain how the CNL is prepared to facilitate a culture of safety and to enhance safety of the care provided for a group of patients. They illustrate how the CNL enhances safety across diverse settings and conclude by noting the power that CNLs have for building continuing coalitions of safety. The value of the CNL as a front-line care leader for building and sustaining safer and higher quality care delivery environments for the future is highlighted.