I respectfully petition that the Virginia Board of Nursing acknowledge the expertise of the Clinical Nurse Specialist to align with the consensus model and scope of practice of  Advanced Practice Nurses and exceed the equivalency of  a Registered Nurse as proposed in Virginia.

I have worked and studied with many CNS practitioners who functioned as competent mentors and colleagues during my training and practice as a Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Each played a vital role in leadership, teambuilding, and contributed multiude strategies supporting positive patient outcomes.

I consider the CNS as the authenic pioneers of APRN's.

Sincerely,

Lisa Rivera, PMH-NP, BC