CNL - Clinical Nurse Leader (direct entry)
From IT professionals and English majors to engineering graduates and former attorneys, UVA Nursing's CNL program attracts professionals united in a common purpose: the desire to be nurses.
The master's entry CNL is for motivated, high-achieving individuals interested in pursuing graduate study to prepare for nursing leadership. This accelerated offering is fast-paced and available to those who already have at least a bachelor's degree in another field. Nationally acclaimed and full-time, this 24-month program leads to a master of science in nursing (MSN) degree, and CNL graduates are eligible to assume positions as registered nurses in a wide variety of clinical settings once they pass the nurse licensing exam, the NCLEX.
UVA's CNL graduates tend to rise rapidly in healthcare communities, given their rich background and exposure to research and leadership, and are increasingly tapped for a new breed of CNL-specific roles at UVA Health and elsewhere. By graduation, they are prepared for work at the bedside, to be leaders in hospital units, and are poised to earn a nurse practitioner or higher degree.
Consistently strong NCLEX pass rates (96%+)
#1 American CNL (U.S. News & World Report)
Nine in 10 CNLs earn scholarships for their schooling
$84K - $147K salary range for CNL graduates
While CNLs are master's educated nurses, graduates are not nurse practitioners but are, instead, prepared for practice across the continuum of care within any healthcare setting and tend to rise quickly in whatever environment they choose.
- More than 840 hours of closely mentored clinical experience across five rich healthcare environments
- Deep experience in evidence-based practice, including a final unit-based quality improvement project presentation
- Opportunities to study and conduct research abroad
- By graduation, 12 graduate credits toward a nurse practitioner MSN and expansive preparation for the CNL Certification Exam
- Guaranteed admission graduates of Virginia state funded schools, and graduates of U.S. Military Academies who meet minimum requirements
- The application deadline has been extended to October 11th (for entry the following May)
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The CNL program is for:
- students who have earned at least a bachelor's degree in a non-nursing field (direct-entry CNL)
- registered nurses (RNs) who've earned a BSN (RN to CNL)
- and RNs who've earned an associates degree in nursing (ADN to CNL)
The CNL was developed by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing in collaboration with leaders from healthcare practice and education to address the critical need to improve the quality of patient care outcomes. The CNL is a clinical leader at the point of care focused on care coordination, outcomes measurement, care transitions, interprofessional communication and team leadership, risk assessment, implementation of evidence-based practices, and quality improvement. Learn more about the role of the CNL and the CNL Competencies and Curricular Expectations on the American Association of Colleges of Nursing website.
Direct Entry CNL (75 credit hours, 790 clinical hours, 326 CNL immersion hours):
- NUIP 4200 Pathophysiology (4 credits)
- GCNL 5100: Health Assessment & Clinical Interventions (4 credits)
- GCNL 5020: Pharmacology (3 credits)
- GCNL 5110: Clinical Practice & Decision-Making: Nursing Care of Adults & Older Adults (4 credits)
- GCNL 5120: Clinical Practice & Decision-Making: Nursing Care of Children & Families (3 credits)
- GCNL 5130: Clinical Practice & Decision-Making: Nursing Care of Adults with Common Health Problems (3 credits)
- GCNL 5140: Clinical Practice & Decision-Making: Nursing Care of Women & Childbearing Families (3 credits)
- GCNL 5150: Clinical Practice & Decision-Making: Community Health Nursing (3 credits)
- GCNL 5160: Clinical Practice & Decision-Making: Nursing Care of Persons with Psychiatric Illness (3 credits)
- GCNL 5170: Clinical Practice & Decision-Making: Nursing Care of Persons with Complex Health Problems (3 credits)
- GCNL 5180: Clinical Practice & Decision-Making: Synthesis Practicum (4 credits)
- GCNL 5210: Introduction to Nursing Leadership & the Healthcare System (2 credits)
- GCNL 5230: Theory for Research & Nursing Practice (1 credit)
- GCNL 5240: Leadership Seminar: Microsystem Analysis & Capstone Development (3 credits)
- GCNL 5250: CNL in the Health Care System (3 credits)
- GCNL 5991: CNL Role Immersion & Capstone (5 credits)
- GNUR 5260: Care Environment Management I & Leading Teams (3 credits)
- GNUR 5270: Care Environment Management II (3 credits)
- GNUR 6010: Advanced Pathophysiology (3 credits)
- GNUR 6052: Epidemiology & World Health (3 credits)
- GNUR 6054: Research & Biostatistical Process for Health Care (4 credits)
- GNUR 6056: Health Policy: Local to Global (3 credits)
- GNUR 6058: Nursing, Ethics and the Larger Healthcare Arena (3 credits)
- GNUR 6060: Culture and Health (2 credits)
In addition to two years of full-time classes, including summer sessions, students enjoy clinical experiences across five specialty areas in year one (including pediatrics, medical-surgical, psychiatric-mental health, obstetrics and labor and delivery, and community and public health), and practice with a preceptor in a generalist nursing role in a variety of settings for nearly 500 hours during year two during their practicum.
Clinical experiences include rotations in a variety of sites to help the student develop skills with acute, chronic, and preventative care of persons with medical-surgical, obstetric, and psychiatric needs. Students also rotate through community/public health and pediatric specialty sites. Clinical experiences are conducted at the UVA Medical Center, other clinics and facilities in Charlottesville and the surrounding region, and through selected global experiences.
CNLs also have opportunities to study, do research, and serve abroad as part of our Global Initiatives offerings at a select number of sites in Central America, the Caribbean, and beyond for either community health clinical rotation hours, as part of their research, or as a study abroad experience.
After completing and presenting a final scholarly evidence-based practice capstone project, CNL graduates are prepared to take the required certification exam to become registered nurses, the NCLEX, and enjoy very high pass rates. CNL graduates are also prepared to take the CNL Certification Exam to earn the CNL credential, and may additionally opt to take this exam as well.
Pre-licensure students studying nursing, including those across our BSN and CNL programs, practice at a wide variety of sites across Charlottesville, Albemarle County, central Virginia, and the mid-Atlantic region, working alongside and being mentored by qualified preceptors and experienced nurses at sites including:
- Albemarle County Public Schools
- Augusta Medical Center
- Bon Secours Short Pump Emergency Center
- Bon Secours St. Mary's Hospital
- Camp Holiday Trails
- Charlottesville Catholic School
- Child Health Partnership - Charlottesville Office
- Child Health Partnership - Fluvanna/Louisa Office
- Clinica Esperanza
- Clinical Simulation & Learning Center (CSLC)
- CRHA Crescent Halls Neighborhood Community Clinic
- CRHA Westhaven Neighborhood Community Clinic
- CVHS - Charlottesville
- CVHS - Louisa
- Epworth Manor
- Fork Union Medical Associates
- Hospice of the Piedmont
- Innisfree Village
- JABA Louisa Adult Care Center
- JABA Mary Williams Community Senior Center
- Louisa County School System
- Louisa Family Practice, PLC
- Rockfish River Elementary School
- Sentara (RMH) Rockingham Memorial Hospital Med Ctr
- The Haven
- The Pearl at Watkins Centre LLC
- Triple C Camp
- Tye River Elementary School
- UVA - Primary and Specialty Care Pantops
- UVA Continuum Home Health
- UVA Dialysis Zion Crossroads
- UVA Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center
- UVA Employee Health
- UVA Family Medicine (Primary Care Center)
- UVA Family Medicine Stoney Creek
- UVA Health Orthopedic Center Ivy Road
- UVA International Family Medicine Clinic (IFMC)
- UVA Kidney Center Clinic (Home Dialysis)
- UVA Maternal & Fetal Medicine Clinic (Battle Bldg)
- UVA Medical Center
- UVA Medicine HOME Program
- UVA Pediatric Hematology/Oncology(Battle Building)
- UVA Pediatrics (Battle Building)
- UVA Population Health-Interactive Home Monitoring
- UVA Primary & Specialty Care Zion Crossroads
- UVA Student Health and Wellness Center
- UVA Teen and Young Adult Health Center
- UVA Transplant Center
- UVA-WorkMed
- Virginia Commonwealth University Health System
- Virginia Institute of Autism (VIA)
- Walker Upper Elementary School
- Western State Hospital
To be considered for the CNL, applicants must:
- Submit a completed application, including an $85 application fee
- Have a baccalaureate or master's degree from a regionally accredited school
- Have a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale)
- Have successfully completed the following prerequisites with a B- or higher before enrollment:
- Human anatomy and physiology I within five years of the program start
- Human anatomy and physiology II within five years of the program start
- Microbiology (with or without lab) within five years of the program start
- Statistics at the graduate or undergraduate level within five years of the program start
- Life span development (conception to death)
- Submit two satisfactory recommendations, one of which should be from a healthcare professional with whom you have worked or volunteered
- Submit a resume or CV
- Be available for an interview, if requested
- International applicants have additional requirements
A competitive candidate has:
- An undergraduate GPA of 3.30 or higher
- Grades of A or A- in each prerequisite
- Prior work or volunteer experience in healthcare; exposure to nursing is recommended
- Prior experience in change-related projects (through work or volunteer experiences) or in team leadership
- A medical math course such as Medical Math | Portage College (ed2go.com)
- Excellent writing skills
A CNL candidate who seeks guaranteed admission has:
- a 3.2 GPA
- all prerequisites completed by the end of the fall semester during which they apply
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