American journal of critical care : an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
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The role of clinical nurse specialists was formalized in the 1950s; the goal was to prepare inpatient, bedside nurses who would serve acutely ill patients via consultation and direct care. Clinical nurse specialists were to be expert clinicians, consultants, educators, and researchers. In the early stages of practice development, the focus was the specific needs of the assigned unit or floor. ⋯ The Synergy Model, developed by the AACN Certification Corporation, was introduced as a way of linking certified practice to patients' outcomes. The model describes 8 nurse characteristics and 3 spheres of influence. This article describes how a group of clinical nurse specialists applied the model to successfully change from a unit-based to a multisystem practice.