Year: 2017

Clinical Nurse Specialists Are Uniquely Prepared to Manage Patients with Chronic Conditions

December 12, 2017/Press Releases and Advisories

New Report Highlights Implications for Policy, CNS Education and Practice

Philadelphia, Pa. – Today more patients than ever are living longer and managing chronic health conditions in their day to day lives. Health costs associated with chronic conditions are skyrocketing and managing patients with chronic conditions requires an understanding of not only the disease process but also self-care actions. The National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists commissioned a task force to consider the impact clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) can have on managing patients with chronic conditions. The task force’s report, Addressing the Needs of Patients with Chronic Conditions: The Role of the Clinical Nurse Specialist, finds that CNSs are uniquely prepared to manage patients with chronic conditions, lead collaboration within and across health care settings and serve as the bridge between disciplines.

Refusing to Correctly Classify Clinical Nurse Specialists Skews Data

November 30, 2017/Statements

National Nursing Leader Says CNSs Need to Be Categorized Correctly

“Sadly, yet again the Office of Management and Budget has incorrectly classified clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) as a title within the broad occupation of general registered nurses (RNs) in the federal government’s Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) System’s 2018 revision. NACNS had once again requested to be treated as other advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and be assigned a stand‐alone SOC broad occupational code. This decision is disappointing and problematic as clinical nurse specialists’ skills and work is sufficiently distinct to reliably collect workforce data as an SOC detailed occupation.

AMA’s Resolution Is Out of Step with Broader Health Care Community

November 22, 2017/Statements

CNSs and Other APRNs Provide Quality Care, Says National Nursing Leader

“We are incredibly disappointed that the American Medical Association (AMA) is fanning the flames of a settled argument with their call for the creation of a national strategy to oppose legislative efforts that grant full practice authority to non-physician practitioners (Resolution 214). In an effort to create concern among their members the AMA is utilizing inflammatory language implying clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) and other advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) are seeking to practice beyond their education and training. This is simply not true.

Nursing Association Welcomes Comments on Core Competencies of Clinical Nurse Specialist Education and Practice

November 8, 2017/Press Releases and Advisories

Today, the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS) opened the public comment period for its 2017 Draft CNS Core Competencies. The NACNS Task Force for the Revision of the NACNS Statement on Education and Practice, a panel of clinical nurse specialist (CNS) experts in education, practice and research, have developed the draft competencies since the task force was commissioned in 2015.

Clinical Nurse Specialists Call for Greater Investment in Opioid Crisis

October 31, 2017/Statements

“Last week, President Trump took an important step to address our country’s opioid crisis by allowing public health agencies to redirect existing health resources. By declaring the crisis a public health emergency, the administration sets a tone for national discussion about addiction to opioids. By declaring the crisis a public health issue, the administration is recognizing that addiction is a chronic neurological disorder and needs to be treated as other chronic conditions are.

However, to fully combat the magnitude of this epidemic a significant financial investment is needed so that our nation can expand access to treatment, develop a national prevention strategy and broaden the pool of those eligible to prescribe medications to treat substance use disorders.

Nurse Leader Commends Reps. Tonko, Luján for Bill to Empower Clinical Nurse Specialists to Prescribe Medication for Opioid Addiction

September 12, 2017/Statements

“America’s opioid epidemic claimed an appalling 64,000 lives in 2016, and just one in five patients who needed treatment received it. With the number of lives lost to opioid addiction growing, the country urgently needs Congress to pass the Addiction Treatment Access Improvement Act – badly needed legislation that can make medication-assisted addiction treatment available to many more people who are in grave danger.

Who Are Clinical Nurse Specialists? They’re Change Leaders!

September 1, 2017/Press Releases and Advisories

Five Facts to Know in Honor of CNS Recognition Week

Philadelphia, Pa. – September 1-7 is the ninth annual National Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) recognition week and hospitals and health systems across the country are celebrating the valuable role clinical nurse specialists play in health care. This year’s theme, Clinical Nurse Specialists: Leading Change for Healthier Lives, draws attention to the ways CNSs improve patient safety and the quality of care.

New Tool Translates Value Impact for Clinical Nurse Specialists

July 25, 2017/Press Releases and Advisories

Toolkit Features Business and Cost Analysis Instruments to Better Quantify CNS Contributions to Health Care

Philadelphia, Pa. – In today’s health care environment initiatives to improve patient care and safety must take cost savings into account, and thanks to their unique advanced practice nursing role care clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) are prepared to assess, analyze and improve the business of health care while prioritizing the patient. To help CNSs translate their value and impact in the clinical setting, the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists Practice Committee created the Cost Analysis Toolkit to help CNSs employ key business and cost analysis strategies to better describe and quantify CNS contributions to health care.

Nursing Leader Calls for Health Care Reform that Prioritizes Patients, Not Reduces Coverage

June 26, 2017/Statements

“While less rigid than the American Health Care Act passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last month, the Senate’s discussion draft of the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 (BCRA) still puts many Americans at-risk of having no health insurance and threatens health care affordability, access and delivery for millions of Americans.

Clinical Nurse Specialists Responsible for Entire Health Systems, But Issues Remain to Allow Full Scope of Practice

June 21, 2017/Press Releases and Advisories

Only Survey of Clinical Nurse Specialists Provides Valuable Insights into Education Levels, Employment, Practice and More

Philadelphia, Pa. – Three in four clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) specialize in adult health or gerontology, most CNSs work in acute care hospitals that have or are seeking ANCC’s Magnet™ Recognition, more than half have nursing clinical-related responsibility for an entire health system, but only 1 in 5 CNSs are authorized to prescribe medications. These are among the key findings of the second nationwide survey of CNSs, conducted by the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists.