Clinical Nurse Leaders are those professional nurses who oversee and coordinate care of groups of patients in a wide variety of health care settings. Fundamental responsibilities for a CNL include:
- Clinical leadership in practice and delivery of patients care to include design, coordination, and evaluation of care for individuals, families, groups, and populations
- Identification and collection of patient care outcomes
- Evaluate and improve care outcomes (to include synthesis of data to evaluate and achieve optimal outcomes)
- Risk evaluation of individual and cohorts of patient
- Integrate care for individuals and cohorts of patients
- Design and implement evidence-based practice
- Team leadership, management and collaboration with other members of health professional teams
- Manage use of information systems and technologies to improve healthcare outcomes
- Stewardship of human, environmental, and material resources
- Advocating for patients, communities, and the health professional team.
What Can I Do With a Clinical Nurse Leader degree?
Because Clinical Nurse Leaders are relatively new nursing role, up-to-date data for the US Bureau of Labor Statistics regarding CNL salary expectations are not readily available. Ranked by CNN Money/Pay Scale’s top 100 careers for big growth, great pay and satisfying work Clinical Nurse Leaders earned a median salary of $89,300 with the top 10 percent making over $130,000 annually. The employment of Clinical Health Leaders is projected to grow more than 19 percent for the next ten years, significantly faster than averages for all other occupations.
What Are the Best Masters Clinical Nurse Leader Degree Programs in the United States?
According to the US News and World Report list of Best Clinical Nurse Leaders degree programs, the following universities and colleges are top in the field:
- #1 – University of Maryland – Located in Baltimore, Maryland
- #2 –University of Virginia – Located in Charlottesville, Virginia
- #3 – University of Pittsburgh – Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- #4 – George Regents University – located in Augusta, Georgia
- #5 – Rush University – Located in Chicago, Illinois
You can check out this website for information on other top schools for a Graduate Nursing Degrees: US News Best Graduate Programs in Clinical Nurse Leaders.
How Much Will A Graduate Degree in Clinical Nurse Leader Cost?
The overall cost of a graduate degree in Clinical Nurse Leader varies according to the following specifics:
- The area of specialization you may be looking for what part of the country your school is located
- The particular school that you choose
- The level of degree you choose to pursue
The cost for earning a Master of Clinical Nurse Leader can cost anywhere between $483 per credit – $999 per credit for in-state tuition and fees or $23,658 – $42,072 for out-of-state tuition and fees. This cost represents tuition and fees only for a two-year graduate program, which is the most common.
Other Resources for information on careers as Clinical Nurse Leaders include: