Discussion Board

Discussion board

Felisha Jones

[Institutional Affiliation(s)]

Author Note

Discussion board

In the U.S., states have varying definitions and criteria over what constitutes the nursing scope of practice. The purpose of this posting is to discuss the nurse’s scope of practice and its application in light of how it is defined by the ANA and the state of Ohio. The American Nurses Association (ANA) define the scope of nursing practices in terms of the ‘when’, ‘how’, ‘what’, ‘where’, ‘why’ and ‘who’ of nursing practice that capture the complex, evolving and dynamic nature of the profession CITATION ANA15 \l 1033 (ANA, 2015). Any duties and task that a registered nurse (RN) is expected or required to perform in delivering care to a patient should remain within the specified limits of their license as outlined in their respective state’s scope of practice.

In the state of Ohio, the scope of nursing practice is defined by the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) 4723.01 (B) that outlines the following functions for RNs: Select, manage, perform and evaluate nursing actions, identifying human response patterns to potential or actual health issues, Deliver nursing care according to health status assessment, provide healthcare related teaching and counseling, administer authorized treatment and medication, supervise and delegate other clinical staff. Moreover, the nursing process for RN's involves exercising clinical judgment to analyze and assess the diagnosis, plan patient outcomes consistent with evidence, implement plan and evaluate progress of achieving the desired patient outcome, and revise nursing diagnosis, if needed CITATION OBN18 \l 1033 (OBN Gov, 2018).

The scope of practice in the state of Ohio also requires continuing nursing education with special emphasis on state regulations and law. To achieve clinical competency, I try to remain well informed and educated of the constant challenges I have to face in preventing further injuries or illnesses, promoting good health CITATION Dob10 \l 1033 (Dobson & Hess, 2010). For this purpose, I prioritize attending weekly meetings to stay updated with current research and findings on new medications, patient care, effective treatment methods, and to know about patient and team feedbacks. Moreover, I plan to pursue further education in order to complete any required competencies and become a member of a professional nursing society to help strengthen my skills and knowledge with regards to evidence-based practice, enabling me to deliver optimum care to patients and their families CITATION Whi15 \l 1033 (Whitney & Gale, 2015). It is critical for nurses to have an adequate understanding of their respective state’s scope of practice and to keep them in consideration while delivering patient care. Any forms of care that nurses are not allowed or expected to perform can lead to undesirable situations, which can be avoided by staying well-informed of the scope of practice within the state you are working in.

References

BIBLIOGRAPHY ANA. (2015). Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice (3rd ed.). Silver Spring, MD: American Nurses Association. Retrieved from https://www.lindsey.edu/academics/majors-and-programs/Nursing/img/ANA-2015-Scope-Standards.pdf

Dobson, C. L., & Hess, R. G. (2010). Pursuing Competence Through Continuing Education. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 1(2), 8-13. doi:10.1016/S2155-8256(15)30344-6

OBN Gov. (2018, October). Scopes of Practice: Registered Nurses (RNs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs). Retrieved January 23, 2019, from State of Ohio Board of Nursing: http://www.nursing.ohio.gov/PDFS/Practice/RN_and_LPN_Scope_of_Practice.pdf

Whitney, K. B., & Gale, S. A. (2015). Positioning Professional Membership Organizations for Success: Achieving Sustainability. Nurse Leader, 13(1), 55-57. doi:10.1016/j.mnl.2014.11.008