2021 Annual Conference

Role of CNS in COVID-19 Pandemic

Responding to emerging crises in healthcare requires a complex, multifaceted approach. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a global health crisis that has emphasized the need for advanced clinical leadership to navigate through these unprecedented times. Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) are strategically positioned to assume a leading role in preparing for these events. In early 2020, healthcare systems were tasked with developing organizational policies and procedures to provide guidelines of care as COVID-19 rapidly spread, increasing healthcare demands. This presentation aims to highlight the ability of the medical-surgical CNS team within a large hospital system, located in the southeast region of the U.S., to lead an initiative to develop crisis care standards for nursing staff and standardize patient plans of care through multidisciplinary collaboration. Incorporating the three spheres of influence (patient, nursing, and system), this high functioning CNS team was able to successfully address the needs of patients, nursing staff, and the system. The educational preparation and unique ability of the CNS to work both efficiently and effectively in each sphere demonstrates CNS leadership in crises care development and pandemic preparedness in a large healthcare system.