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

2. 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)

3. Competence • ‘Competence is the ability of the registered nurse to practice safely and effectively within his/her scope of practice’ (ABA, 2000)

4. Competence • Not static • Developmental • Specific skill may be learned, but knowledge may change over time • Acknowledge any limitation of competence

5. 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

6. Accountability • Being answerable for the decisions made in the course of one’s own professional practice • Applies to both actions and omissions

7. Responsibility • ‘A charge for which one is answerable’ (Batey and Lewis, 1982)

8. 5 rights of delegation • Right task • Right circumstance • Right person • Right directions or instructions • Right supervision (Davidson and Scott, 1999)

9. 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

10. Nurse Scope of Practice Decision – Making Framework • This framework supports and guides nurses

11. 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?

12. 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?