Implementing the clinical nurse leader role using the Virginia Mason Production System.

More than 90 members of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and 190 practice sites have partnered to develop the clinical nurse leader (CNL) role. The partnership has created synergy between education and practice and nurtured innovation and diffusion of learning on a national basis. In this ongoing department, the editor, Jolene Tornabeni, MA, RN, FAAN, FACHE, showcases a variety of nurse leaders who discuss their new patient care delivery models in preparation for the CNL role and CNLs who highlight partnerships with their clinical colleagues to improve patient care. In this article, the authors discuss the needs for changes in the nursing care delivery model, the implementation of the role of the CNL using the tools of the Virginia Mason Production System, as well as early outcomes and future opportunities for the expansion of the CNL role.