Changes in health care have forced providers to
find ways to decrease the cost of services while maintaining high-quality, efficient
care for their patients. In addition, there is a rising acuity of the patient
population admitted for cardiac surgery. The continued development of the
role of the CSNP and evidence that supports the cost savings and improved
patient outcomes that result from the use of CSNPs will encourage more and
more cardiac surgery programs to use CSNPs along the continuum of care