By Pamayla E. Darbyshire, DHA, MSN/CNS Ed, FCEITR
The 17th Annual Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) Recognition Week is September 1–7, 2026. This year’s theme, “Amplify,” mirrors the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialist 2027 Annual Conference focus and reflects a bold call to elevate the voice, value, and visibility of CNSs and the essential role they play in advancing healthcare.
What is CNS Week?
Every September 1–7, hospitals, health systems, and communities across the country join in honoring CNSs — advanced practice registered nurses who blend clinical expertise, leadership, and evidence-based practice to improve patient outcomes, reduce costs, and strengthen health systems. NACNS created the National CNS Recognition Week in 2009 to honor the birth of Hildegard Peplau (September 1, 1909), a visionary nursing theorist whose work on the nurse–patient relationship reshaped health care. Her seminal text, Interpersonal Relations in Nursing, still informs CNS practice today, particularly in fostering trust, communication, and collaborative care (1991, 1992).
What is a clinical nurse specialist?
A Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) is a master’s, doctoral, or post-graduate level CNS practitioner and has a national certification in a CNS specialty (NACNS, 2026). CNSs diagnose, prescribe, and treat patients and specialty populations across the continuum of care with emphasis on specialist care for at-risk patients and/or populations. They contribute to improved outcomes by providing direct patient care, leading evidence-based practice, optimizing organizational systems, and advancing nursing practice through onsite educational programs for staff, conference presentations for attendees and various other educational venues.
Clinical nurse specialists are leaders in health care.
The work of the CNS centers on patients and families, nursing practice, staff mentoring, and broader healthcare system improvements. Clinical Nurse Specialists have been a part of the health care industrial complex in the United States for more than 60 years (Karl & Mion, 2020; NACNS, 2026). Through the decades, the role has become widely accepted in the health care system and one that significantly impacts the nation’s economy by providing safe, low-cost, and effective evidence-based health care services. Additionally, they provide expertise and support to nurses caring for patients at the bedside, help drive practice changes throughout the organization, and ensure the use of best practices and evidence-based care to achieve the best possible patient outcomes.
Role Integration
Overlapping Duties: Many healthcare systems combine the two positions (CNS and case management), using the advanced training of a CNS to guide case management frameworks. CNS and case management nurses advocate for their patients, use their knowledge and organizational skills to coordinate all aspects of patient care, from identifying cost-effective treatment options to communicating health status with the families.
Different Focus Areas: Clinical Nurse Specialists prioritize clinical practice, staff education, and evidence-based care, whereas a traditional case manager may focus primarily on managerial coordination, insurance approvals, logistics, patient care coordination, and advocate for individual needs in various healthcare settings.
Shared Goals and Collaboration
Care Coordination: They guide patients through different stages of treatment, from hospital admission to outpatient or home care. Nurse case managers are the liaison between patients and providers [and] serve as a central point of contact for patients, families, practitioners, and health insurers.
Resource Navigation: They bridge gaps in psychosocial, financial, and discharge needs to ensure treatment continuity.
Advocacy and Safety: By monitoring medication adherence and organizing specialized community support, they assist with administrative procedures in avoiding or decreasing repeat hospital admissions.
Quality and Cost: Both roles aim to improve patient care while reducing waste and hospital readmissions.
Direct Support: A CNS brings high-level clinical knowledge, while a case manager focuses on system navigation, resource allocation, and discharge planning.
Interprofessional Teams: They collaborate closely to solve complex clinical hurdles for high-risk patients.
Take Away
The key takeaway is to acknowledge the role duality between CNS and case managers. Many of the functions for each are not singularly one individual’s job or position. It takes a village to raise a CNS and CCM.
References
Karl J. I., Mion L. C. (2020). Nurse-delivered patient education in the acute care setting: Challenges and opportunities. Geriatric Nursing, 41(2), 187–190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gerinurse.2020.03.006
Peplau H. (1991). Interpersonal relations in nursing : A conceptual frame of reference for psychodynamic nursing (3rd ed.). Springer Publishing Company.
Peplau H. (1992). Interpersonal relations: A theoretical framework for application in nursing practice. Nursing Science Quarterly, 5(1),13–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/089431849200500106
National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists (NACNS). (2026). CNS standards of practice: The professional foundation of the CNS role. https://nacns.org/2014/08/who-are-clinical-nurse-specialists/
Leading in today’s increasingly diverse, interdisciplinary case management workforce is no small feat. Our Virtual Leadership Conference faculty have all been exactly where you are and want to share what they've learned along the way.
Ellen Fink-Samnick, Thomas F. Fisher, Jeffery Gonzales, Colleen Morley, Michele O’Brien, Patricia Resnik bring an abundance of experience and expertise to this event, beginning with ""Leveraging the Interdisciplinary Diverse Workforce in Case Management.""
We hope you will join the conversation on October 3 or opt for our on-demand option: https://bit.ly/4x5rdVd
Bio: Pamayla E. Darbyshire earned her Doctorate in Health Administration from the University of Phoenix, AZ. She has a master's degree in nursing with a clinical nurse specialist, focused on education, and over 45 years of nursing experience. Dr. Darbyshire is a long-time member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honour Society of Nursing. In addition, Dr. Darbyshire is a member of the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) National Research Committee, engaged in grant approvals, Expo Poster Abstract reviews, AORN guideline updates, and has co-authored for The AORN Journal, Phoenix Scholar, The Qualitative Report and other peer-reviewed journals. She is a Case Management Society of America (CSMA) member. Dr. Darbyshire's commitment to the academic community is evident in her role as a mentor for doctoral students (UoPx), and the American Nurses Association (ANA). Her research interests include case management, chronic disease, neurodiversity, and the application of artificial intelligence in higher education. She has presented at numerous virtual conferences with an international audience.
Department/Affiliation: College of Doctoral Studies, University of Phoenix, AZ, USA; CEITR fellow; post-doctoral researcher/author