Conceptualizing clinical nurse leader practice: an interpretive synthesis

Area of Science:

• Nursing Science
• Healthcare Management
• Quality Improvement

Background:

• The Institute of Medicine highlights the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) role for enhancing healthcare quality.
• Current understanding of specific CNL practices and their impact on quality outcomes is limited.
• Lack of clarity hinders the articulation, implementation, and measurement of CNL practice and outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a theoretical understanding of Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) practice.
• To facilitate systematic and replicable implementation of CNL roles across diverse healthcare settings.
• To inform strategies for successful integration of CNL roles.

Main Methods:

• Interpretive synthesis design.
• Grounded theory analysis.

Main Results:

• The core phenomenon of CNL practice is continuous clinical leadership.
• Key activities include: facilitating communication, strengthening relationships (intra- and interprofessional), building teams, and supporting staff engagement.
• These activities collectively promote information exchange, engagement, and effective care processes.

Conclusions:

• Clinical Nurse Leaders (CNLs) are essential for promoting quality at the microsystem level through continuous communication and relationship development.
• Nurse-led models of care, exemplified by CNLs, offer significant benefits for healthcare transformation.
• Findings provide a framework for managers to implement CNL roles effectively, ensuring practice success.