CNS Role and Practice in Ireland

Abstract

CNS posts have a short history in Ireland, but none the less they have developed across all practice areas and disciplines of nursing (mental health, children, adult/general, intellectual disability) and midwifery. CNSs practise within the core concepts of the role (patient/client care, patient/client advocacy, education and training, audit and research, consultancy) and exhibit a range of competencies related to their knowledge, communication, organization, liaison, management, leadership, care/service provision, teamwork and decision-making. However, given the different pathways to CNS post, there is a need for those CNSs who did not hold the education level to engage in continuing education, and this education should be a postgraduate diploma (level 9) to master’s level. In addition, there is a need for regulatory support to guide the development of national standards for CNS posts through key performance indicators to facilitate benchmarking and standardization of CNS roles. While the expectation to fulfil many roles can lead to role overload, there is also a need to ensure CNS fulfil each component of their role including research and audit in order to demonstrate their value and make their contribution visible. Thereby administration support may be a necessary consideration for services/organizations in order to support CNSs to fulfil their role and reach their full potential and grow advanced nurse practitioners (ANPs).

This chapter has been written before the 2020 APN ICN guidelines were published and reflects the views of the authors.