This reading list is provided for guidance and educational purposes only. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and relevance, the content may not be exhaustive, complete, or updated. Inclusion on this list does not guarantee a passing score on the CNL exam. Use of these materials is at the student's/candidate’s discretion, and the provider assumes no liability for exam results or inaccuracies. CNC does not endorse any of the publications listed below nor does it have a proprietary relationship with any publishing company.
Books
Domain: Nursing Leadership Subtopic: Horizontal Leadership Type of Reading: Book
Clinical Nurse Leader Certification Review, Third Edition, New by Cynthia R. King PhD NP MSN RN CNL FAAN (Editor), Sally Gerard DNP RN CDE CNL (Editor), Carla Gene Rapp PhD MNSc RN (Editor) Clinical Nurse Leader Certification Review, Third Edition
Domain: Clinical Outcomes Management Type of Reading: Book
Feehan, Lynne M., et al. (2022). Exercise to Prevent and Manage Chronic Disease Across the Lifespan (1st ed.). Elsevier. Published: May 2023. Focus: Chronic Disease Management, Exercise Science, Disease Prevention.
Ignatavicius, Donna D., Workman, M. Linda, Rebar, Cherie R., & Heimgartner, Nicole M. (2025). Medical-Surgical Nursing: Concepts for Clinical Judgment and Collaborative Care (11th ed.). Elsevier. Published: 2025. Focus: Clinical Outcomes, Patient Care, Disease Management.
Mick, Diane J., & Ackerman, Mark H. (2012). Advanced Practice Nursing Ethics in Chronic Disease Self-Management (1st ed.). Springer Publishing. Published: September 2012. Focus: Patient Self-Management, Chronic Disease Ethics, Advanced Practice.
Dunphy, Lynne M., Winland-Brown, Jill E., Porter, Brian O., & Thomas, Debera J. (2023). Primary Care: The Art and Science of Advanced Practice Nursing - An Interprofessional Approach (6th ed.). F.A. Davis. Published: 2023. Focus: Primary Care, Disease Management, Interprofessional Care.
Domain: Care Environment Management Type of Reading: Book
Rambur, Betty, PhD, RN, FAAN (2024). *Health Care Finance, Economics, and Policy for Nurses: A Foundational Guide* (3rd ed.). Springer Publishing. Published: December 2024. Focus: Healthcare Economics, Finance, Policy, Workforce Management, Health Equity.
Ignatavicius, Donna D., et al. (2025). *Medical-Surgical Nursing: Concepts for Clinical Judgment and Collaborative Care* (11th ed.). Elsevier. Published: 2025. Focus: Quality Improvement, Patient Safety, Evidence-Based Practice.
Hebda, Toni, & Czar, Patricia (2023). *Handbook of Informatics for Nurses and Healthcare Professionals* (7th ed.). Pearson. Published: 2023. Focus: Healthcare Informatics, Electronic Health Records, Data Management.
Kelly, Patricia, & Vottero, Beth A. (2024). *Nursing Leadership & Management* (5th ed.). Cengage Learning. Published: 2024. Focus: Quality Management, Team Coordination, Healthcare Systems.
Journal Articles
Domain: Nursing Leadership
Subtopic: Horizontal Leadership (Mentorship and Coaching) Type of Reading: Journal Article
Transforming Nurse Manager Roles Success Through Strategic Clinical Nurse Leader
Integration Daniel T. Lose, DNP, RN, CNML ∙ Jenna Lisk, MSN, RN, OCN ∙ Shannon Hunger,
MSN, RN, NE-BC, BMT-CN Nurse Leader
Domain: Nursing Leadership Subtopic: Horizontal leadership
Type of Reading: Journal Articles (2022-2025)
Al-Nemrawi, R., Shawish, M., & Al-Modallal, H. (2025). The impact of clinical nurse leadership models on the quality of care at the unit level: A systematic review. *BMC Nursing*, *24*(1), Article 705.
Alharbi, A. (2025). The influence of the Clinical Nurse Leader role on healthcare quality: A narrative review. *Saudi Journal of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences*, *11*(10), 631-640.
Domain: Interprofessional Communication and Collaboration Skills:
Mastalerz, K. A., Jordan, S. R., & Broadfoot, K. J. (2024). Physician experiences of team-based clinical microsystems: Implications for the future of inpatient interprofessional communication.
*Journal of Interprofessional Care*, *39*(2), 155-162.
Sowko, L., Foertsch, L., & Haimes, A. J. (2025). Benefits of interprofessional collaboration: Nursing and bioengineering students team up. *American Nurse Journal*, *20*(7), 32-35. 6. National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education. (2023). National Center for
Interprofessional Practice and Education 2023 annual report. *Journal of Interprofessional Care*,
*37*(5), 697-701.
Domain: Healthcare Advocacy
Alharbi, A. (2025). The influence of the Clinical Nurse Leader role on healthcare quality: A narrative review. *Saudi Journal of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences*, *11*(10), 631-640.
Domain: Implementation of the CNL Role
Bender, M., Halvorson, B., & Williams, M. (2024). Describing a programme of implementation-effectiveness research to support nationwide Clinical Nurse Leader role integration. *Journal of Advanced Nursing*, *80*(12), 5234-5247.
Domain: Lateral Integration of Care Services
Duggan, M., Dunbar, J. A., Morgan, M. A., McNamara, K. P., de Courten, M., & Calder, R. V. (2024). An effective approach to tackling complex health policy challenges: Using a clinical microsystems approach and rethinking codesign. *Frontiers in Public Health*, *12*, Article 1405034.
Cawley-Chambers, M. (2024). Reducing readmissions using collaborative care. *Professional Case Management*, *30*(3), 93-99.