Maximizing the use of the clinical nurse specialist as consultant

Substantive Areas of Clinical Nurse Specialist Practice

“…[226][227][228][229][230][231][232][233][234][235][236] Case consultation is described often by CNSs as a way to bridge the gap between knowledge and practice and thereby promote the clinical expertise of staff in meeting patients' and families' needs. 52,[56][57][58][59][60][61][62][237][238][239][240][241][242][243][244][245][246][247][248][249][250][251] The expertise of the CNS is maximized, and the staff members are assisted in acquiring new perspectives and approaches to problem solving, which are then generalized to a variety of patient care situations such as caring for patients with complex wounds, 245,249 disruptive behaviors, 57 persistent pain, 239 and mental health difficulties. [56][57][58][59][60][61][62]243,250,...…”

“…In this type of consultation, nurse managers request the expert help of the CNS to resolve difficulties in achieving organization or management objectives. 248,[252][253][254][255][256][257][258][259][260][261][262] Several areas of CNS administrative consultation are described: (a) developing forums for staff communication, including informing staff of organizational changes 103,253,254,263 ; (b) assisting with conflict resolution among staff 248,253,254 ; and (c) evaluating, making recommendations, and acquiring products [264][265][266][267] such as specialty beds, 265 invasive monitoring equipment, 267 and clinical computer systems. 266 Collaborating or working jointly with nurses and other disciplines also surfaced as a major characteristic of CNS clinical practice.…”