2021 Annual Conference

Role of CNS in COVID-19 Pandemic

The US healthcare system has been overwhelmed by the need to focus all of its human and materials resources towards COVID. The numbers of patients requiring intensive care has surged beyond available ICU bed capacity – requiring the development of radical models of care; critical shortage of PPE has required triaging of resources, and new protocols to extend the use of PPE; lack of ventilators has required exploration of radical interventions such as shared ventilators between patients. These and other challenges have required the rapid development and implementation of new processes, procedures and guidelines to optimize provider safety and patient outcomes (Sprung, et al., 2020; Godoy, et al., 2020; Clarke, et al., 2020; Maxam, et al., 2020). Clinical nurse specialists play an important role in leading this work.

Clinical Nurse Specialist (2019) CNSs “are leaders and facilitators of change, coordinators of specialized care, and implementers of evidence-based care within/between organizations to facilitate quality improvement, patient safety, and lower healthcare costs (p. 10).”  As such, the clinical nurse specialist is uniquely prepared to optimize outcomes by assessing clinical practices in relation to evolving scientific evidence, and to intervening across the patient, nurse and system levels. The role of the CNS has never been more crucial than now.

While anecdotal reports of the impact of nursing and CNS practice are increasingly visible, there is a need to better understand the importance and impact of various aspects of the CNS role in responding to the COVID-19 crisis. To better understand the importance and impact of the CNS role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic we conducted a survey of Clinical Nurse Specialists across the United States. This presentation will highlight key study findings.