Nursing standard of practice helps us to define our roles on what can we do or limitation in our professional capacity. Having regulations and standards across all nursing specialties helps to improve outcomes and patient safety. (Grand Canyon, 2018).
The American Nurses Association (ANA) develops the general nursing scope and standards that apply to all nurses. Specialty organizations align with those broad parameters by developing and revising their own specific scope and standards of practice. (Maloney, 2016)
WHO: All RNs or APRNs received education, titled and licensed to provide care.
WHAT: May perform specific function on promoting wellness, preventing injury and alleviate sufferings.
WHERE: an organized healthcare system
WHEN: when RNs obtain their credentials and educational requirements to perform a specific task.
WHY: standardized procedure authorizes the RN to exceed the usual scope of RN practice.
The Nursing Practice Act (NPA) is the body of California law that mandates the Board to set out the scope of practice and responsibilities for RNs. The NPA is located in the California Business and Professions Code starting with Section 2700. Regulations which specify the implementation of the law appear in the California Code of Regulations. (California Board of Registered Nurses, n.d.)
Different entities who are involved in developing the standard of practice and promoting positive patient outcomes are: The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization ( JCAHO), performs evaluation of safety regulations in workplace to promote safety and effective care; National Council of State Board of Nursing ( NCBN), develops nursing licensure standards for credential and Nursing Practice Act or NPA that defines legal scope of nursing practice in different states.
In my unit specialty which is Critical Care, Standard of practice guides us on what life saving measures we can perform independently as a nurse during CODE BLUES. For example, it is not under our scope of practice to intubate a patient regardless if he or she is in respiratory distress. We are not allowed to ask a patient to sign an informed consent for any procedure independently without speaking to their doctors to answer all their questions and concerns. All of these standards protect not only the patient but also the nurses against malpractice or negligence.
