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The International Society of Psychiatric Consultation-Liaison Nurses (ISPCLN)

The International Society of Psychiatric Consultation-Liaison Nurses, now the ISPCLN Division of ISPN, is an organization for advanced practice psychiatric-mental health nurses who work with patients/families, who enter the health care system with actual or potential physical dysfunction. Nurses practicing in this subspecialty are in an advanced practice role. In addition to direct care of patients/families, psychiatric consultation-liaison nurses (PCLN's) also function in consultative, collaborative, and educative relationships with nurses and other health care providers to enhance their knowledge and skills in addressing the biopsychosocial aspects of care. PCLN's may practice in many settings: hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, long term care facilities, home care, and clinics.

PCLN practice has been recognized in the literature since 1963 and a number of graduate nursing programs have offered specialization in consultation-liaison nursing for many years. The specialty group began meeting in annual conferences in 1987, but did not organize as a nursing specialty organization until 1994. A group of PCLNs started working in 1985 to develop standards of PCLN practice. These standards were published by The American Nurses Association (http://www.nursingworld.org) in 1990. The ISPCLN Division was involved in the 2005 revision of ANA's Scope and Standards of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing via incorporation of the original PCLN Standards into the Scope of Practice and Standards for Advanced Practice in Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing.

ISPCLN members published an article in Archives of Psychiatric Nursing in 2002 regarding core curriculum for PCLN graduate programs. We are very concerned about the current trend to integrate psychiatric-mental health content throughout the curriculum on the undergraduate level. There is also a concern that a reduction in the number of graduate programs offering a psychiatric-mental health nursing specialty will diminish the pool of nurses prepared for the PCLN role.

We strongly believe that PCLNs make a profound contribution to the care of patients with physical health problems and the staff who struggle with the many demands of today's health care environment. Outcomes research is one way to validate the role of the PCLN. As part of the strategic plan for our Division, we are preparing a mulitisite pilot study on PCLN outcomes which we expect to complete in 2006.

*The ISPCLN has two practice guides which are currently undergoing revision. Please contact ISPN for expected publication dates and costs.

• Practice Guide #1: “Job Description and Performance Evaluation” is intended to assist in developing a PCLN position. It identifies the core elements of a PCLN role and gives sample job descriptions. The guide also describes variations in the way the PCLN role is operationalized in different settings. It gives suggestions for monitoring and reporting outcomes of practice as well as helps for evaluating role performance.
   
• Practice Guide #2: "Change and Transition" presents current theory on change and transition with suggestions for helping others to cope with and thrive in the midst of massive and rapid change in health care.

Both Guides may be ordered from

ISPN Headquarters
2810 Crossroads Drive, Suite 3800
Madison, WI 53718
Phone: 608-443-2463 • Toll free: 1-866-330-7227
Fax: 608-443-2474 or 608-443-2478

AWS Position Statement  (PDF 66K)

We are excited about the work being done by our members. As a small subspecialty, it is crucial for PCLNs to achieve and maintain a close network of peers for support, encouragement and to challenge our thinking. Becoming a member of the ISPCLN Division of ISPN is an excellent way to achieve this connectedness with others. Become a member now!

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