Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) and Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) Offered

The healthcare industry is facing numerous challenges. Coordination of care, safety, delivering effective and efficient care and fiscal responsibility are all critical issues in the 21st. century. In addition, technology is changing how healthcare is delivered. As one of the top ten graduate nursing programs in the country, The University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing is offering several new leadership programs to address those challenges.

Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP):

The University of Pittsburgh is the first School of Nursing in Pennsylvania to offer a Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) for advanced practice. The DNP is designed for nurses seeking a doctorate in advanced nursing practice or in nursing leadership, and offers an alternative to research focused doctoral (PhD) programs. The DNP degree reflects the level of scientific knowledge and practice expertise required for high quality patient outcomes. Initially two tracks leading to the DNP will be offered: one for Clinical Nurse Specialists, and a second in Nursing Leadership.

Nurses graduating from this program will be prepared with a blend of clinical, organizational, economic and leadership skills. While existing practice disciplines focus on research, education, or practice, the DNP combines all three for advanced patient care and leadership.

Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL)

The school is also offering a new Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) Master’s Program for direct care nurses who wish to assume leadership of direct nursing care management. The CNL is a leadership role in all settings in which health care is delivered. It is not an administration or management position. Rather, it is designed for nurses who want to make a difference in the clinical setting. The CNL assumes responsibility for patient care outcomes by coordinating, delegating and supervising the care provided by the health care team. Unlike the nurse manager role, which is largely administrative, the CNL brings a high level of clinical competence and knowledge to the point of nursing care and serves as a resource for the nursing team.

The University of Pittsburgh School is enrolling students in the DNP and the CNL programs for the fall 2006 semester. Courses can be taken on a full time or part time basis.

Anecia Thibodeau began her career at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System in 1998, when she was selected to participate in the VA Learning Opportunities Residency (VALOR) Program in psychiatric nursing during her senior year at Carlow College. This program affords nursing students who are about to enter their senior year the opportunity to be precepted in a nursing role while offered additional educational experiences.

This experience led Anecia to see all the opportunities that are afforded to VA employees, such as continuing education and loan repayment. When she looked at other hospitals’ benefits, nothing could compare to the type of growth and development opportunities that are afforded to VA nurses. After graduating with a bachelors of science in nursing, she was hired as a full-time nurse at the Heinz Division, a transitional/long term care facility for veterans. The VA then had an opportunity for eligible staff in critically needed areas to apply to have their undergraduate loans repaid, which Anecia applied for and was granted. While working as a staff nurse from transitional level care, then moving to a surgical floor followed by the surgical intensive care unit, she cared for the most acute patients including immediate post-surgical patients who had had treatments such as open heart surgery and liver transplants. While moving throughout the system, Anecia always looked at ways to improve patient care. This led her to the decision that in order to influence patient and organizational outcomes, she would be best prepared as a Clinical Nurse Specialist.

The VA recognizes the importance of higher education and offers a program to assist those nurses who want to obtain bachelor, masters, and doctorial degrees with a program called NNEI (National Nursing Education Initiative). She was accepted for the NNEI funding and enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh’s Clinical Nurse Specialist program. She graduated in 2004 and currently functions as the medical/surgical clinical nurse specialist at the VAPHS’ University Drive Division.

Anecia provides leadership in the application of the nursing process. She provides clinical support to telemetry and enhanced care nursing staff during daily rounds, as evidenced by assisting nurses to resolve patient care problems, role modeling for staff in direct patient care, performing bedside education, and responding to staff clinical care questions. Her leadership goes beyond the nursing staff and encompasses the medical staff as she consults with physicians in situations of changing patient acuity. As such, Anecia developed a "Level of Care Guide" for use by physicians and nursing to discern proper placement for the veteran during their stay. She has been involved in bridging the gap when there have been DNR orders placed without Code Status Sheets filled out by doctors – this has involved educating the nursing staff to seek more information from family members and to involve social work service in getting code status sheets or advanced directives filled out in an expeditious manner. She has coached new GNs and RNs through potential ethical scenarios and role-played with them on ethical dilemmas.

A registered nurse is a busy person – balancing a challenging career life with a active personal life. In order to advance in a nursing career or to increase salary opportunities, an RN knows s/he should investigate further education. But how is that possible if the work life takes up so much of the nurse’s time? Today online learning is an alternative. Professionals have so many choices these days to continue their education as well as different format options– traditional and non-traditional classrooms. All of these options can provide a successful environment – it is a choice the student must make.

Online learning happens anytime that is convenient to the student during the week. A program can provide 24/7 online experience to enable the nurse to study with convenience and flexibility. All they need is the motivation to study and a connection to the Internet. The online environment allows students to study when and where their busy schedules permit, interact online with other students, share ideas, ask questions and exchange information. To ensure success an online faculty advisor provides one-on-one guidance and feedback. Chatham College’s online RN-to-Bachelor of Science in Nursing program provides the busy working nurse just that! A Chatham Online student, Joanie Campsie, finds online learning easier to fit into her schedule, “Trying to juggle a full-time job, family commitments, and studies all at the same time is a tall order, but Chatham’s online program has been a great opportunity to continue my nursing education without leaving my job.” We applaud Joanie and nurses everywhere who follow their dreams…and help so many people on the way! Happy Nurses Week!