Masters in Science in Nursing Roles
The Pacific Lutheran University MSN curriculum is evidence-based and practice-oriented designed to equip nurses with the knowledge and skills to lead change, promote health and elevate care in various roles and settings. MSN role specialization options include Certified Nurse Educator® and Clinical Nurse Leader®.
As frontline caregivers, nurses plan and provide direct care to patients, interact with families, and coordinate patient care. The MSN-prepared nurse participates in organizational activities that promote safe, quality and efficient patient care. To that end, the nurse must be a clinical expert, educator, skilled communicator, trustworthy team player, and a systems’ thinker who is knowledgeable about and capable of implementing various performance improvement strategies.
The Certified Nurse Educator® (CNE) is a graduate-prepared nurse with specialized training as an educator. Nurse Educators can be certified as academic nurse educators or clinical nurse educators. With training and certification, they are ready to teach in diverse settings, including technical schools, hospitals, two-year colleges, and universities. This information is condensed from the National League for Nursing (NLN) website. To learn more about the CNE role, visit the NLN CLE page.
The Clinical Nurse Leader® (CNL) is a master’s educated nurse, prepared for practice across the continuum of care within any healthcare setting in today’s changing healthcare environment. Fundamental aspects of CNL practice include:
- Clinical leadership for patient-care practices and delivery, including the design, coordination, and evaluation of care for individuals, families, groups, and populations;
- Participation in identification and collection of care outcomes;
- Accountability for evaluation and improvement of point-of-care outcomes, including the synthesis of data and other evidence to evaluate and achieve optimal outcomes;
- Risk anticipation for individuals and cohorts of patients;
- Lateral integration of care for individuals and cohorts of patients
- Design and implementation of evidence-based practice(s);
- Team leadership, management and collaboration with other health professional team members;
- Information management or the use of information systems and technologies to improve healthcare outcomes;
- Stewardship and leveraging of human, environmental, and material resources; and
- Advocacy for patients, communities, and the health professional team.
The above content is adapted from the AACN website. To learn more about the CNL role visit the AACN CNL information page