Description
Please write a Paragraph answering to this
discussion below with your opinion. Please include citations and references in
case of another source.
The scope of practice describes the procedures,
actions, and processes that a healthcare practitioner is permitted to undertake
in keeping with the terms of their professional license.
The Scope of Nursing Practice describes the “who,” “what,”
“where,” “when,” and “why” of nursing practice.
When it comes to investigating a new procedure, a systematic
approach should be applied. It is very critical to determine whether a given
procedure is within the nursing scope of practice before deciding to adopt or
implement.
Some standard steps that must always be followed are based on
the Nurse Practice Act, the ANA Standards of Practice, rights of patients, and
safe nursing practice. According to Anderson (2013), determining if a new
procedure is within the scope of nursing practice can be accomplished in three
steps.
First, defining the issue, which means clarifying what exactly
is being asked and what the new procedure entails. This step also includes
gathering any additional information such as conducting a competency assessment
to perform a task, as well as any previous experience, current knowledge and
skill. Evidence-based practice and nursing research must also support the
adoption of any new procedure.
Secondly, since evidence is not the only component, the Nurse
Practice Act and the policies of the workplace must also be considered. Nurses
may be limited by the facility policies/standards to perform certain tasks even
though the tasks are allowed by the BON (Anderson, 2013). Likewise, nurses may
not be legally permitted to perform certain tasks that are commonly performed
in the facility. These policies can vary within the same state and even within
the same facility. For instance, ICU nurses may be permitted to perform a
certain procedure that nurses on the other unit are not.
Many states also have a set of rules to follow that help to
determine whether task is within the scope of practice. Hence in the process of
investigating a new procedure, I would review laws and other documents and
follow institutional polices or the chain of command to make inquiries, as
necessary. For example, if I learn that the BON permits nurses to perform the
given procedure then the next step is to determine what conditions must be met
in order to comply with the Board, such as additional training or education.
The final step, according to Anderson (2013), is
decision-making. For a task/procedure to be within the scope of nursing
practice, it must be consistent with the Nurse Practice Act, institutional
polices, and supported by research or professional organization. Most
significantly, the primary concern must always be safe environment and patient
care (Anderson, 2013). Before introducing and implementing the new procedure,
research of evidence-based guidelines, literature from professional
organizations, and other resources must be reviewed to determine whether the
procedure will result in improved patient outcomes.
The competency, knowledge, and experience with the procedure
must also be taken into consideration to determine if additional training may
be necessary. If any training is required, then a plan must be made of what the
training should entail, how long it will take, along with other details such as
when and where.
When it is time to introduce the new procedure, I will have to
be prepared to be a leader and an expert in the change process. (Seagraves,
2009, p.19).
To reduce the possibility of resistance it is also important to
share with the staff the research findings about the procedure and receive
feedback, thereby gaining support.
References
https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/scope-of-practice/
Anderson, L. (2013). Understanding the different scopes of
nursing practice.
Seagraves, K. (2009). How to be a catalyst for Change.
Nursing2009: December 2009 – Volume 39 – Issue 12 – p. 18-19 doi: 10.1097/01.
NURSE. 0000365017.08493.08
