title: The consultation component of the clinical nurse specialist role.
abstract: The clinical nurse specialist (CNS) role in Canada has 5 key components: clinical practice, consultation, education, research, and leadership. This study focuses on the consultation component: how it is described by CNSs and the facilitators and barriers to its implementation. A qualitative descriptive design was used to interview 8 CNSs who worked with adult populations in a university hospital setting.The findings indicate that managing crisis situations, ensuring continuity of care, and supporting other health professionals and health-care teams are key areas of consultation. Role ambiguity perceived by other professionals and constant demands and expectations due to a changing environment constitute the major challenges of CNS practice, requiring CNSs to continuously clarify their role in accordance with changes in time and place.
authors.affiliation: McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: Maria-Helena
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chambers-Evans
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reidy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D057179:Advanced Practice Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008875:Middle Aged; D009720:Nurse Clinicians / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000523:psychology*; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology*; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011792:Quebec; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016526:Workload / Q000706:statistics & numerical data