The role of the clinical nurse leader is a
reasonably recent addition to healthcare institutions.
It was developed in 2003 as it was becoming
apparent that there was a need to recognize nurses who were stepping into
leadership positions and give them a formal framework to do so to help them to
access the right training and remuneration.
Today the role of the clinical nurse leader is
a highly respected and rewarding one, and it’s possible to train as a clinical
nurse leader without having worked as a registered nurse first.
If you’re someone who loves working with
people and is empathetic and emotionally resilient, then becoming a clinical
nurse leader could be a good career move for you.
You can act as a mentor for other
nurses
According to a recent survey, the most satisfying jobs are those where there
is an opportunity to serve or help other people.
For many of us, work plays a central role in
our lives, and it’s the place where we do the majority of our social
interaction. For this reason, it’s important that our work helps us to meet our
social and emotional needs, as well as our financial ones.
Human beings are designed to live in
communities, and we feel much happier when we feel as though we are being of
service to our fellow humans.
As a nurse leader, you’re not only helping the
patients in your care; you’re acting as a mentor to the nurses who you work
with, helping them to provide excellent care and to develop their own careers.
Mentoring is incredibly rewarding, as you
observe your mentees going from strength to strength and progressing throughout
their careers. In nursing, it’s even more rewarding because you can see the
positive impact your mentees are having on their patients.
Advocacy is a large part of the
role
Another part of the role of a clinical nurse
leader is to act as an advocate for patients and staff alike.
You’ll spend time getting to know your
patients, their beliefs, and who they are as people. You’ll then use this
knowledge to speak up for them when they need you to, ensuring that the care
they receive is right for them based on both their medical needs and their
individual emotional needs.
Advocating for your patients doesn’t always
just mean in the hospital, either. Senior healthcare providers are often
involved in health advocacy when it comes to the
development of government policy, which is essential for ensuring that patient
needs are put at the center of healthcare reform and new policies as they are
developed.
You can have a huge impact on
patient care
Every registered nurse has the opportunity to
have an impact on patient care through the care that they provide.
Clinical nurse
leaders have this same opportunity, and more so, because they are able to
influence changes to hospital policies that dictate how patient care is
delivered. Things like education initiatives help to empower patients to take
care of themselves more effectively, which improves their quality of care.
Clinical nurse leaders are often instrumental
in communicating with patients and their families and ensuring ongoing care
even after their stay at the healthcare facility is finished.
Clinical nurse leaders are able to have an
impact on how nurses and other healthcare staff are treated and ensure that
they are getting greater satisfaction in their roles, which has a direct impact
on patient care.
Studies have shown that the addition of
clinical nurse leaders has a huge impact on patient care, creating changes such
as:
- Reducing the length of stay for
patients - Reducing readmission rates
- Increased patient safety – for
example, fewer falls and infections - Increased patient satisfaction
- Higher levels of staff retention
You can train as a clinical nurse
leader from any career background
If you would like to train as a clinical nurse
leader, the good news is that you can do so even if you aren’t already working
as a nurse!
It’s possible to undertake masters entry programs in nursing that will
qualify you as a clinical nurse leader, as long as you have a
bachelor’s degree from any other discipline.
The master’s entry program combines all that
you would learn in a BSN (bachelor of science in nursing) and then builds on it
so that you are fully equipped to work as a clinical nurse leader. Your
university will arrange the clinical work experience that you need so that once
you graduate, you are fully prepared to take your licensure exam and begin
working as a clinical nurse leader.
The best part is that the whole program only
takes 20 months, which is a great deal faster than other routes to qualify as a
clinical nurse leader. Traditionally, the BSN qualification alone would take
four years.
You can minimize the time out to retrain and
be embarking on an exciting new career in under two years!
The salary is competitive
Nursing is a well-respected profession in the
US, and it is compensated accordingly.
Registered nurses can expect to earn an
average salary of around $73,000 per year, and clinical nurse leaders command an average salary of
$92,236.
Salaries for healthcare careers are dictated
by the type of institution you work for and your location in the country. For
example, people working in a rural health center are not likely to be paid as
well as people working in a busy city hospital. That being said, house prices
and rents are likely to be lower in a rural location, so it does balance out.
The salary range for clinical nurse leaders is
large. The lowest-paid clinical nurse leaders receive $83,833 per year, and the
highest can receive as much as $105,249.
Healthcare roles are in demand
There’s a huge demand for healthcare roles in
the US. A combination of the aging population and an increase in chronic
conditions like diabetes and obesity means that we need more people in
healthcare roles than ever.
This demand means that once you have trained,
you are likely to have job security for life.