Our Story
The first CNS role in New Zealand was from the result of a pilot study at Wellington Hospital in 1970.
A Ministry of Health document in 1998 stated that the CNS was a crucial member of the healthcare team and the role needed to be recognized and endorsed by Nursing Council.
The CNS role was used consistently nationally following the 2006 MECA.
The first National Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) conference was held in 2009 in Christchurch and a bi-annual conference has been held since that time.
One of the recommendations from a survey of participants at the inaugural CNS conference was to establish a national CNS network and the decision was formally made to form a National Society in 2013.
Today there are over 1500 CNS roles in NZ - and rising
Clinical Nurse Specialist Definition
A Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) is an experienced Registered Nurse who works as a clinical expert in a specialised area of healthcare.
A CNS utilises advanced nursing knowledge, evidence based research and critical thinking to influence nursing practice and improve patient outcomes.
A CNS is a clinical leader who oversees clinical care and is involved in research, education and policy development at local and national level.
The CNS role is underpinned by post graduate study at masters level.
Position Statements
It is the mission of the CNS Society NZ to promote the distinctive contributions of CNS practice to the health and well-being of individuals, family/whanau, communities and healthcare, and to advance the practice of nursing in New Zealand.
Purpose & Goals
The purpose and goal of the CNS Society NZ is:
To provide a forum for discussion, share knowledge and expertise
To provide professional leadership to CNSs
To provide a mechanism to consult on issues which affect CNS
practice
To promote and sponsor the biennial CNS conference or other such meetings as may be useful or desirable for the advancement of the purposes of the society
To develop a uniform classification/definition of CNS practice in NZ
To increase the visibility and influence of CNSs
To develop recommendations on educational requirements for the CNS role and the development of educational resources
To encourage nursing research
To develop evidence-based guidelines to underpin CNS practice.
