Using a Scorecard to Demonstrate Clinical Nurse Specialists’ Contributions

Abstract

Clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) have the expertise to influence change at the patient, nurse, and system levels. They are clinical experts who understand the challenges of the current health care environment: decreasing costs, ensuring high-quality care, and achieving outcomes. Evidence has demonstrated CNSs’ influence on improving patient outcomes. Although CNSs often lead the work, they can be invisible when the outcomes are presented. A scorecard to display this work could be invaluable to the CNS role, as it would bring transparency to the evidence-based work done. This article describes the development of a CNS scorecard in a 627-bed tertiary hospital.