Essay On Nursing Practice Act And Scope Of Practice

Nurse Practice Acts and Scope of Practice

Kelsey Sherriff

Department of Nursing, Northeastern University

NRSG 4610: Managing and Leading in Health Care

Dr. Allison Bernard

January 29, 2023

Nurse Practice Acts and Scope of Practice

The evolution of modern professional nursing has allowed the registered nurse to take on an increasing and broad scope of practice. The roles and responsibilities of the nurse are redefined based on the particular needs of a healthcare system. With escalating patient acuity and exorbitant unit census’, the nursing profession must adapt and respond accordingly (Salmond & Echeverria, 2017). This adaptation has been seen throughout history, even prior to the conception of modern nursing with Florence Nightingale

The preservation of human dignity and high quality care necessitates a transformed health care system and an amendment to the definitions of what constitutes standardized nursing duties. However, increasing responsibility also comes with increased risk. National nursing associations are charged with the responsibility of determining the scope of nursing practice, as well as providing and regulating practice standards and codes of ethics. In conjunction with state-level agencies, these two regulatory entities form the legal boundaries that the nursing profession must operate in. The creation of nurse practice acts safeguards public welfare by defining the autonomous and collaborative actions that nurses are expected to and allowed to carry out. Without

As defined by the American Nursing Association, delegation refers to the transfer of responsibility for the performance of a task from one individual to another while retaining the accountability for the outcome (2012). Delegation, if utilized correctly, has the ability to improve the health outcomes of patients (Barrows & Sharma, 2022). Delegable activities include the collection and documentation of simple data, activities of daily living, and patient care duties that involve predictable outcomes, do not require alterations, and do not require clinical assessment and judgment (Registered Nurse and Licensed Practical Nurse, 2021). Under 244 CMR 3.05(2), general criteria are listed and must be met prior to delegation. First, the delegator bears responsibility for the care provided by the delegatee under his or her direction. Second, the decision of what can be delegated in any situation is determined by the delegating nurse. Third, an assessment of the patient’s care needs must be completed prior to delegation. Fourth, the delegatee must be deemed competent to perform any delegated activities, it must be within their own scope of practice, and competency of activities must be documented and periodically reassessed and validated. Similarly, delegation must also be a component of their job description. Delegated activities must be appropriately supervised by the licensed nurse. Lastly, delegated