■ The clinical nurse specialist (CNS) contributes to a healthy work environment through partnerships with the nursing staff, nurse manager, physicians, and other colleagues across the health system. Examples of these partnerships are described in this article, highlighting how the work of the CNS influences the care that patients and families receive, shapes the practice environment, and fosters collegial and respectful relationships among caregivers. The CNS is a pivotal figure in creating an environment where nurses can provide the care that is needed and feel valued for their work. Partnership with a variety of clinicians enables the CNS to influence critical care nursing practice, the intensive care unit team, and the environment in which care is provided. (KEYWORDS: collaboration, clinical nurse specialist, healthy work environment, teamwork, interdisciplinary, partnerships) The clinical nurse specialist (CNS) has long been associated with creating healing envi- ronments for patients and families. Accord- ing to Byram, 1 the essence of the CNS role is based on the application of expert clinical and systems knowledge to improve out- comes of patient care and staff satisfaction. 345 AACN Clinical Issues Volume 12, Number 3, pp. 345–355 © 2001, AACN This includes shaping the environment in which care takes place. Nurses and other caregivers also need healing environments in which to work. In most settings in healthcare today, the work environment has become tumultuous, fast- paced, complex, and stressful. Reports of vi- olence, verbal abuse, and dysfunctional rela- tionships are increasing. 2–4 The importance of the nurse manager in creating a healthy work environment has been well docu- mented. 5–7 However, by virtue of the special- ized knowledge and skills used in creating supportive environments for patients, the CNS also significantly influences the nature of the environment for caregivers in several ways. 8–10 Working together, the nurse manager and CNS can create an environment in the critical care unit that allows patients and families to receive compassionate quality care, and that fosters collegial, respectful, and enjoyable relationships among caregivers. This article will discuss the ways in which the CNS con- The Role of the Clinical Nurse Specialist in Creating a Healthy Work Environment Joanne Disch, RN, PhD, FAAN; Mary Walton, RN, MSN; Jane Barnsteiner, RN, PhD, FAAN ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ From the Katharine J. Densford International Cen- ter for Nursing Leadership, University of Minnesota School of Nursing, Minneapolis, Minn. (Dr Disch); The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa. (Ms Walton and Dr Barnsteiner); and the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, Pa. (Dr Barnsteiner). Reprint requests to Joanne Disch, PhD, RN, FAAN, University of Minnesota School of Nursing, 4-185 Weaver Densford Hall, 308 Harvard St. SE, Minneapo- lis, MN 55455 (e-mail: disch003@umn.edu).