Maximizing Clinical Nurse Specialist Utilization in Future Conflicts Within the Navy and Marine Corps

The United States faces evolving strategic challenges that require military forces to adapt how they operate to achieve operational objectives. Emerging threats are reshaping the operational environment and require corresponding changes to health service support (HSS). Delayed casualty evacuation requiring prolonged care, high casualty volumes, and constrained medical logistics were identified as challenges in future conflict. Clinical nurse specialist (CNS) practice is examined in relation to these challenges to demonstrate the role's potential impact and support greater CNS utilization at the operational and tactical levels of medical care. Evidence from military treatment facilities, civilian health systems, and the COVID-19 response demonstrates how CNSs improve outcomes through rapid translation of evidence into practice, prevention of hospital-acquired complications, competency development, expansion of clinical capacity, resource conservation, and standardization of care. Greater integration of CNSs into operational and tactical medical forces could strengthen patient outcomes, clinician readiness, system efficiency, and the flexibility of HSS during future conflict.