Nursing - Clinical Nurse Leader

Overview

The 42-45 credit Nursing - Clinical Nurse Leader program at Southern Connecticut State University consists of core courses (24 credits), two clinical courses (12 credits), and a thesis (6 credits) or special project (3 credits) component. Four hundred clinical hours of practice are required to meet practice requirements for certification as a Clinical Nurse Leader. 

These are spent exploring the structure and functioning of the healthcare organization and analyzing its impact on the delivery of evidenced based nursing care to a specified group of patients. Prepared as an advanced nursing generalist, the CNL is able to practice with any patient population, and in most healthcare settings.

Graduates with Nursing - Clinical Nurse Leader from Southern Connecticut State University will be able to:

• Integrate scientific findings from nursing, biological, and social sciences to advance nursing practice along the healthcare continuum.

• Conduct research, translate research findings, and critically analyze data and evidence to integrate into advanced nursing practice.

• Assume complex and advanced leadership roles to initiate and guide positive change at the individual, group, and system levels to improve practice processes and outcomes.

• Intervene at the system level through policy development and advocacy regarding regulatory, financial, and political factors to improve practice processes and outcomes.

• Facilitate open communication, collaboration, mutual respect and shared decision-making amongst key stakeholders in the practice and/or educational environments.

• Direct and provide patient-centered care integrating advanced knowledge of nursing and relevant sciences and humanities to improve health care outcomes.

• Design interventions using advanced knowledge to promote individual and population health, wellness, and disease prevention at the global/local level.

• Integrate appropriate technologies for knowledge management, coordination of care, and complex decision making to improve healthcare quality and safety.

• Model professional behaviors incorporating advanced knowledge and awareness of social justice, legal/ethical standards, regulatory processes, and professional codes.

• Utilize safety science and quality improvement methods for continuous improvement the delivery of safe care.