Bay Area CNL Program Graduates Reach 100-mark

This month, The USF School of Nursing will graduate 19 more Clinical Nurse Leaders into the Bay Area Nursing workforce, bringing the number of local Clinical Nurse Leaders to 118!

The Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) is a new role developed in response to the Institute of Medicine's 2000 Report, "To Err is Human." The CNL oversees the care coordination of a distinct group of patients and actively provides direct patient care in complex situations. This clinician puts evidence-based practice into action to ensure that patients benefit from the latest innovations in care delivery. The CNL collects and evaluates patient outcomes, assesses cohort risk, and has the decision-making authority to change care plans when necessary. This clinician functions as part of an interdisciplinary team by communicating, planning, and implementing care directly with other health care professionals, including physicians, pharmacists, social workers, clinical nurse specialists and nurse practitioners.