The Role Of Clinical Nurse Specialist Writing Assignment

The role of clinical nurse specialist
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The role of clinical nurse specialist
Health information technology has transformed the manner in which healthcare facilities interact with data (Rouleau, Gagnon & Côté, 2015). An example can be demonstrated by the increasing adoption rates of electronic records by the healthcare facilities. Nursing is essential in the adoption of the electronic medical record (EMR). As a result, healthcare providers are responding to the trend by having dedicated IT departments staffed by professionals with an understanding of both medicine and technology. Since nurses form the largest group of healthcare providers, they form the largest users of the EMRs (Rojas & Seckman, 2014). The Institute of Medicine (IOM) indicates that nurses are essential in the transformation of the American healthcare system, indicating that nurses deserve to partner with the other healthcare specialists (Lathrop & Hodnicki, 2014). One of the advanced nursing roles offered in the South University is a clinical nurse specialist (CNS) of informatics. CNSs utilize both clinical nursing skills and technical knowledge to develop systems which improve the safety and quality of care offered to the patients.
CNSs are registered nurses who have a clinical background (Babine, Honess, Wierman & Hallen, 2016). However, they do not offer medical care since their concentration is on enhancing the use of technology in the nursing practice. The clinical background is essential for CNSs because it allows them to understand and translate clinical needs into a technology function. They are in a better position to translate the user requirements into a solution. The CNSs may interact with the patients, but they do not offer clinical services to them. The main purpose of interacting with the clients entails understanding their needs so that the CNSs can facilitate the development of information systems which meet the needs of the clients.
CNSs are responsible for patient outcomes through various roles. Firstly, they are responsible for the coordination and support of research or publications which are related to nursing practice and the clinical information systems (Lavin, Harper & Barr, 2015). Through this, the CNSs strengthens clinical practice and research by facilitating the understanding of research and promoting its use in a healthcare facility. As the CNSs assists other healthcare professionals to interpret and conduct research, it becomes possible for the professionals to become updated with the current research which allows them to offer better services to the clients. Further, CNSs facilitates the other professionals in the publication of articles which facilitates the sharing of knowledge among the healthcare workers.
Secondly, the delivery of quality care depends on the documentation process utilized by the healthcare providers (Mathioudakis et al., 2016). While documentation has always been considered a critical part of the nursing profession, it is not more vital than ever in the provision of high-quality care. The modern healthcare system largely depends on individual patient needs and history. Through accurate documentation of patients’ condition, healthcare providers are in a better position to improve the care offered to the patients. CNSs facilitate the access of accurate medical records regarding patients which enables care providers to consider the condition of a client over time and hence make better decisions regarding how to offer care and the adjustments which require to be made.
Thirdly, CNSs are at the forefront of ensuring patient safety by preventing medication errors, misdiagnosis and falls. They provide important data that can assist in dealing with these problems (Foster & Flanders, 2014). For instance, they facilitate access to electronic records with patient information which assists clinical nurses to identify possible allergies and dangerous medical interaction. Similarly, electronic records can enable nurses to identify patients who are at a higher risk of falls. With such information, nurses can make the most appropriate decisions to keep their patients safe. Enhancing patient safety saves costs for patients. For instance, medical errors cost the United States about $20 billion annually (Rodziewicz & Hipskind, 2018). Similarly, misdiagnosis and patient falls lead to longer hospitalization, injury, disability and an increase in the rate of mortality.
Furthermore, CNSs offer leadership in the design of educational approaches and competence to facilitate the incorporation of technology into the practice. As the largest future users of EMR, nurses should be active participants in the adoption of technology in healthcare (Rojas & Seckman, 2014). However, some nurses do not have the required education and expertise to appraise the application of EMR. The integration of technology in healthcare facilities is a demanding task which requires specialists in the area to assist the rest of the healthcare professionals. The CNSs utilize their skills to coordinate users and project team efforts in designing and implementing training programs wh...