Lynn Gardner is the Director of the Commission on Nursing Certification. Ms. Gardner, along with the CNC Board of Commissioners, is responsible for building awareness of the certified CNL and overseeing the CNL Certification Program.
She joined CNC in January 2023 after years of managing certification and recertification programs, and learning management systems for several trade associations, including: the American Counseling Association, the Board of Pharmacy Specialties, the Heart Failure Society, and the American Psychiatric Association, and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Southern New Hampshire University.
As our nation’s healthcare system continues to evolve, it becomes more complex each year. As a result, the ability of healthcare providers to deliver quality patient care on a consistent basis gets more complex. Hence, healthcare providers agree that in order to adequately address each patient’s unique healthcare needs, medical teams should be staffed with at least one nursing professional who is highly skilled in coordinating care across a variety of healthcare settings.
The certified Clinical Nurse LeaderSM (CNL®) fills that role by playing an integral part in coordinating and delivering superior patient care. Quantitative and qualitative studies have validated the value of the certified CNL by documenting the positive impact certified CNLs have on healthcare delivery systems.
Further, employers who hire certified CNLs, report that these professionals have a measurable impact on the quality of nursing services. When engaging certified CNLs on their medical teams, employers report that certified CNLs:
- Raise patient, nurse, and physician satisfaction while improving care outcomes and realizing sizable cost-savings.
- Elevate the level of practice for all nurse in the unit by promoting critical thinking and innovation in nursing care.
- Constructively manage change and promote a team-based approach to care.
- Understand the bigger picture, including outcomes and patient satisfaction, when considering next steps, needed changes and improvements to the setting.
Nationwide, there are 9.606 certified CNLs who improve healthcare delivery in various healthcare settings across the continuum of care. Read how these specialized nursing professionals impact care delivery and why employers engage certified CNLs.
