As CNS week begins, NACNS wants to give members and readers a look into where their board went to school to become a CNS, and what lessons they took away from their programs.
The CNS board encourages members and other readers looking for more information on CNS programs to check out the program guide on the NACNS website. If you know of any CNS programs that are new, or not listed here, please reach out to questions@nacns.org to get the program on our website!
Phyllis Whitehead PhD, APRN/CNS, ACHPN, PMGT-BC, FNAP, FAAN, President of NACNS
What CNS program did you attend?
Radford University, Radford, VA (No longer offers a CNS track; offers a post-graduate DNP)
What is the biggest lesson you learned through becoming a CNS?
I went into nursing to make a difference in my patients’ lives. Being a clinical nurse specialist has taught me the importance of collaboration and hard work in positively impacting my patients and their families, as well as my nursing and medical colleagues and institution. The role of the CNS offers me the versatility to do what I need in whatever the situation warrants. There is simply no other role that I prefer to have in healthcare.
Jan Powers, PhD, RN, CCNS, CCRN, NE-BC, FCCM, FAAN, Past President of NACNS
What CNS program did you attend?
Indiana University School of Nursing
What is the biggest lesson you learned through becoming a CNS?
The complexities surrounding healthcare, and how important nursing practice positively impacts patient outcomes and prevents complications. The CNS as an APRN is the guardian of nursing practice and continues to advance nursing to provide optimal patient outcomes. Advanced nursing practice is so much more than procedures and prescriptions, it is looking at the patient holistically, identifying evidence-based or innovative interventions to facilitate care so patients can reach their optimal state of wellness.
Mitzi Saunders, PhD, APRN, CNS-C,NACNS President-Elect
What CNS program did you attend?
Oakland University, Rochester, MI – Adult Health CNS
What is the biggest lesson you learned through becoming a CNS?
Besides it being the best APRN role, the ability to flex our skills in a variety of health care directions is my favorite part. I also think being a prescriber in my role as a CNS gave me a whole new appreciation for the art of CNS prescribing – I do believe every CNS should have some capacity in their role to be a prescriber, even if the formulary is tiny.
Linda Thurby-Hay DNP, RN, ACNS-BC, BC-ADM, CDCES, Secretary/Treasurer of NACNS
What CNS program did you attend?
I graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University’s Clinical Nurse Specialist program years before the release of the Consensus Model for APRN regulation. My educational preparation was quite different from current requirements, and the conversation around full practice authority for APRNs was not underway.
What is the biggest lesson you learned through becoming a CNS?
One lesson learned relates to the need for active engagement in the national conversation about the nursing profession. There are many stakeholders whose livelihoods are grounded in maintaining the status quo in healthcare delivery, while there is ample evidence that our model of care is ripe for innovation to better equip our people with the knowledge and tools to stay healthy, recover from illness, or die with dignity. Nursing must speak deliberately about changes in care delivery that will produce better patient outcomes, and articulate more clearly how professional nurses contribute to those outcomes.