A perianesthesia clinical nurse specialist (CNS) is a treasured resource in perioperative areas. The CNS may function in a full-time or part-time position, may cover multiple units, and may have several managers with whom he or she collaborates. The perianesthesia CNS has multiple roles or domains of practice, including that of clinical expert, educator, researcher, consultant, and liaison (Glover, Newkirk, Cole, Walker, & Nader, 2006). As perioperative nurses are required to care for an increasingly wide range of patient types and acuities, the CNS plays a critical role in developing the necessary education, policies, and procedures to support their practice. In addition, the CNS plays a vital role as a liaison between the perianesthesia units and the OR as well as between the surgical units and ICUs. Finally, perianesthesia CNSs also provide a critical link to enhancing communication and collaboration between medical and nursing staff.
The perianesthesia educator role is also advantageous for any facility. The educator is a mentor for staff, working side by side to engage them in learning, helping them to grow in areas of weakness, and empowering them to become clinical mentors for other staff. The perianesthesia educator may coordinate with the CNS, if available, to facilitate staff education, develop and maintain competencies, and develop and revise new hire orientation programs. The nurse educator should spend ample time in direct patient care, alongside the staff members, to assess their educational needs and plan accordingly with classes and/or in-services. In conjunction with the educator and CNS, a perianesthesia patient care manager may also have an assistant patient care manager as part of the administrative team. Hereafter, the term administrative team will be used to refer to the individuals that comprise the perianesthesia nurse management team.