Scope of Practice

Elaine Harris
Clinical Placement Coordinator
Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital,
Crumlin,
Dublin 12
Definition of Scope of Practice

 The range of roles, functions

responsibilities and activities, which a
registered nurse is educated,
competent, and has authority to
perform
(An Bord Altranais, 2000)
Competence

 ‘Competence is the ability of the

registered nurse to practice safely
and effectively within his/her scope
of practice’
(ABA, 2000)
Competence

 Not static

 Developmental

 Specific skill may be learned, but

knowledge may change over time

 Acknowledge any limitation of

competence
Determining Competence

 The assessment of one’s own

competence includes:
 The recognition of one’s own abilities
 Practicing within the limits of one’s own
abilities and qualifications but not
beyond the scope of practice

 In accordance with legislation and

The Code of Professional Conduct
Accountability

 Being answerable for the decisions

made in the course of one’s own
professional practice

 Applies to both actions and

omissions
Responsibility

 ‘A charge for which one is

answerable’
(Batey and Lewis, 1982)
5 rights of delegation

 Right task

 Right circumstance

 Right person

 Right directions or instructions

 Right supervision
(Davidson and Scott, 1999)
Emergency Situations
 ‘Nothing can be construed as preventing a
nurse from taking appropriate action in
the case of an emergency’
(ABA, 2000)

 Best interest of the patient must be

served by appropriate nursing
intervention in emergency situations
Nurse Scope of Practice Decision –
Making Framework

 This framework supports and guides

nurses
Scenario 1

 A Seconded Student is working on

an infant ward and is asked by a
mother to bath her infant on her 1st
day
 She has bathed adults while on
General Placement and is nervous
about bathing an infant

 She is not sure of she is competent

or not

 What should she do?

Scenario 2
 A 4 Year Seconded Student working
in a surgical paediatric unit is asked
by the CNM if she would collect a
patient from theatre.

 She has done this while on General

Placements.

 What should she do?