CNLs are analogous to point-of-care ‘systems engineers’ as they to continually assess and reassess vitality of each system’s functioning at the point of care. Within the nursing paradigm, the CNL’s ‘patient’ becomes the point of care. In short, the clinical nurse leader applies the nursing process to the point of care through the use of systematic, microsystem assessment techniques. For example, just as a nurse routinely assesses and prioritizes interventions based on patient findings, such as changes in vital signs, the CNL routinely monitors and intervenes based on the unit’s ‘vital signs,’ or information about the unit’s aggregate safety and quality functioning. The Clinical Nurse Leader serves as the advocate for the point-of-care providers, and has been called both the ‘safety nurse’ and the ‘nurses’ nurse’ for the frontline staff delivering the care (Rusch & Bakewell-Sachs, 2007). Through advocacy at this level, the CNL fosters a just environment and enhances a culture of safety.