AWHONN
News & Views
Competencies for Women’s Health Clinical Nurse Specialists
T Photo © Comstock Images / thinkstockphotos.com
The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) and the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS) have released the first-ever competencies for women’s heath clinical nurse specialists (CNS). The competencies were developed by the members of a joint task force composed of representatives of AWHONN and NACNS. The competencies build on the National CNS Core Competencies and incorporate knowledge and scope of practice from standards of practice and evidence-based guidelines developed by AWHONN. They are entry-level competencies for all graduates of master’s, doctorate of nursing practice and postgraduate programs
that prepare women’s health CNSs for certification and licensure. “Women in the United States are experiencing rising rates of morbidity and mortality in childbirth, as well an increase in chronic health problems such as diabetes. These complex public health issues require nurses who can provide direct care, coordinate healthcare teams, improve processes and promote healthier outcomes for women across the lifespan,” said AWHONN’s chief executive officer Lynn Erdman, MN, RN, FAAN. “AWHONN’s collaboration with NACNS in the development of these Women’s Health CNS Competencies is an essential step in fully realizing the impact
DOI: 10.1111/1751-486X.12180
http://nwh.awhonn.org
© 2015, AWHONN
81
News & Views AWHONN
the Women’s Health CNS can have to improve outcomes.” The competencies are for women’s health CNSs who provide direct and indirect care to women across the lifespan, including: • reproductive and sexual health, starting in adolescence; • childbearing and lactation; • newborn and family adaptation; • perimenopausal, menopausal and postmenopausal health; and • healthy aging for women. They describe seven areas of CNS competencies: • direct patient care; • consultation with other health care professionals; • systems leadership;
“We are pleased to have worked with AWHONN to develop this baseline set of competencies for the women’s health CNS,” said NACNS 2014 President Les Rodriguez, MSN, MPH, RN, ACNS-BC, APRN. “It’s important to note that we recognize that science and our knowledge about women’s health and health care continue to evolve. Over time, as research provides new evidence about women’s health nursing practice, we will update these competencies to reflect that science.” Representatives of the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health (NPWH) and National Certification Corporation (NCC) informed the work of the joint task force and the validation panel. The Women’s Health Clinical Nurse Specialist Competencies are available to download, free of charge, on the AWHONN and NACNS websites. Visit www.awhonn.org/store to download.
• collaboration; • coaching patients, families and caregivers; • research; and • ethical decision-making, moral agency and advocacy.
AWHONN YouTube Channel Did you know that AWHONN has a YouTube channel? Visit YouTube.com/ AWHONN and among the videos you’ll find is one of AWHONN’s latest how-to videos on “Quantification of Blood Loss,” which demonstrates ways clinicians can quantify blood loss as one means to help save lives.
82
Nursing for Women’s Health
Volume 19
Issue 1
News & Views
Competencies for Women’s Health Clinical Nurse Specialists
T Photo © Comstock Images / thinkstockphotos.com
The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) and the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS) have released the first-ever competencies for women’s heath clinical nurse specialists (CNS). The competencies were developed by the members of a joint task force composed of representatives of AWHONN and NACNS. The competencies build on the National CNS Core Competencies and incorporate knowledge and scope of practice from standards of practice and evidence-based guidelines developed by AWHONN. They are entry-level competencies for all graduates of master’s, doctorate of nursing practice and postgraduate programs
that prepare women’s health CNSs for certification and licensure. “Women in the United States are experiencing rising rates of morbidity and mortality in childbirth, as well an increase in chronic health problems such as diabetes. These complex public health issues require nurses who can provide direct care, coordinate healthcare teams, improve processes and promote healthier outcomes for women across the lifespan,” said AWHONN’s chief executive officer Lynn Erdman, MN, RN, FAAN. “AWHONN’s collaboration with NACNS in the development of these Women’s Health CNS Competencies is an essential step in fully realizing the impact
DOI: 10.1111/1751-486X.12180
http://nwh.awhonn.org
© 2015, AWHONN
81
News & Views AWHONN
the Women’s Health CNS can have to improve outcomes.” The competencies are for women’s health CNSs who provide direct and indirect care to women across the lifespan, including: • reproductive and sexual health, starting in adolescence; • childbearing and lactation; • newborn and family adaptation; • perimenopausal, menopausal and postmenopausal health; and • healthy aging for women. They describe seven areas of CNS competencies: • direct patient care; • consultation with other health care professionals; • systems leadership;
“We are pleased to have worked with AWHONN to develop this baseline set of competencies for the women’s health CNS,” said NACNS 2014 President Les Rodriguez, MSN, MPH, RN, ACNS-BC, APRN. “It’s important to note that we recognize that science and our knowledge about women’s health and health care continue to evolve. Over time, as research provides new evidence about women’s health nursing practice, we will update these competencies to reflect that science.” Representatives of the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health (NPWH) and National Certification Corporation (NCC) informed the work of the joint task force and the validation panel. The Women’s Health Clinical Nurse Specialist Competencies are available to download, free of charge, on the AWHONN and NACNS websites. Visit www.awhonn.org/store to download.
• collaboration; • coaching patients, families and caregivers; • research; and • ethical decision-making, moral agency and advocacy.
AWHONN YouTube Channel Did you know that AWHONN has a YouTube channel? Visit YouTube.com/ AWHONN and among the videos you’ll find is one of AWHONN’s latest how-to videos on “Quantification of Blood Loss,” which demonstrates ways clinicians can quantify blood loss as one means to help save lives.
82
Nursing for Women’s Health
Volume 19
Issue 1
