Clinical Nurse Leader 

MMC has always been a popular clinical site for nursing students from many area colleges.  In 2004, Dr. Jane Kirschling, Dean of Nursing Education at the University of Southern Maine (USM) asked Marge Wiggins, RN, Vice President of Nursing/Chief Nursing Officer if she would like MMC to partner with USM to help implement the Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) role developed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).  After reading the white paper on the role and sharing it with staff, Marge enthusiastically agreed to work with Dr. Kirschling, USM and AACN. 

Marge Wiggins currently serves on the AACN's Implementation Task Force as Chair of the Practice Committee and has developed the design methodology for the Partnership Care Delivery Model that will support the role of the CNL and advance safe patient and family centered care.  A task force at MMC worked with USM faculty to refine the curriculum for the Master's level CNL.  MMC currently has seven nurses enrolled in this master's prepared program.

USM faculty hold membership on the Partnership Care Delivery Model Task Force at MMC.  The partnership is historic at the national and local levels.  At no other time in the history of U.S. Healthcare has there been such a high degree of collaboration between practice sites and academic institutions to advance a new role in nursing.

To read more about the Clinical Nurse Leader role, visit the AACN website.

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