Evaluating the impact: using a business planning approach

Abstract

There may be a number of reasons why Clinical Nurse Specialists are concerned with the evaluation of their role. On the one hand, it may be about justifying the role and its expenditure against a perceived threat of reduction in services. On the other hand, it may be about taking the opportunity to develop the role and its place within the provider unit, and thus attract extra resources. No doubt the perspective will depend on the forces within individual units, however, using this chapter purely as a response to a threat may tend to limit its horizons. It is proposed that evaluation should be seen as an opportunity to stand back and examine the services currently offered, and identify what is still required.