Clinical nurse consultants: defining the role.

In 1992, Wentworth Area Health Service in New South Wales, Australia, initiated the first area-wide review of the role of clinical nurse consultants (CNCs). Its purpose was to determine and define the role and function of CNCs. Previously, only broad guidelines had been described in the state Nurses Award. The review included an analysis of how Wentworth Area Health Service CNCs spent their time, a comparison with CNCs from other Area Health Services, and a survey of the opinions of Wentworth Area Health Service nurse managers. The four common components of CNC roles identified were: education, liaison/resource, research, and clinical. The review highlighted the diversity of the CNC role, and outcomes from the review included a statement of role descriptors, development of a professional peer support group, and better utilization of CNCs within this Area Health Service.