Clinical Nurse Specialist role as a change agent Essay (Essay Sample)

Clinical Nurse Specialist Role as an Agent of Change
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Table of Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u The Role of a CNS PAGEREF _Toc24969323 \h 4The CNS as a Change Agent PAGEREF _Toc24969324 \h 5Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc24969325 \h 11References PAGEREF _Toc24969326 \h 13
Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Role as an Agent of Change
As the world continues to change, so does the healthcare system and the provision of quality healthcare. With continuous technological and knowledge improvement, healthcare organizations and experts have to embrace change continuously to improve service delivery. Changes in technology, healthcare systems, and organizational policies are taking place within the clinical settings as healthcare organizations strive to adapt to changes in the business environment and healthcare industry (Soltis, 2015). One of the major roles of the nursing profession is to function as an agent of change within the clinical environment. Clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) and other healthcare experts constantly have to find new ways of effecting change within the healthcare system (Soltis, 2015). They have a critical role to play in the implementation of change, whether it is in the application of evidence-based practices, technological systems, or changes in operational and management practices. CNSs, therefore, need to be involved in decision-making and execution to ensure that change is effected successfully within the healthcare system.
The most common organizational change within the clinical system is the adoption of technology that can improve the quality of healthcare provided to patients and the application of new operational methods. The number of patients that lose their lives, because of medical or clinical errors that are preventable in hospitals, continues to increase over the years. However, through the use of modern healthcare information technology and systems, patient safety and the quality of healthcare services can be improved (Henry et al., 2016). To this end, healthcare organizations and providers are moving towards more patient-centered healthcare systems through the increased use of technologically innovative systems such as electronic health records (EHR), the internet, as well as management information systems, which provide new, effective and efficient tools to improve patient care. By using technological systems that provide online clinical resources with around the clock access to clinical data and global networks, nurses and other healthcare specialists can make better clinical decisions and provide better care to patients. CNSs, therefore, have a critical role to play, as agents of change regarding the implementation of technology and new methods for healthcare provision within healthcare systems. In this paper, the role of a CNS as an agent of change within the healthcare system is discussed.