The future of the clinical nurse specialist in the USA

In light of the climate of healthcare reform, the future of the traditional clinical nurse specialist is tenuous while that of the nurse practitioner is bright. The merger of these two traditional roles into a unified advanced practice nurse (APN) role is critical now for the profession of nursing, for patients and for the entire healthcare arena. The following describes how the APN will be a leader in providing health care both in the USA and internationally and a primary mover toward WHO's goal of "health for all".