Introduction
As a nurse executive, it is essential to ensure that hospital policies align with the state nursing scope of practice. Hospital policies, on the other hand, occasionally might be more stringent than state nursing laws, restricting the full range of nursing practice. In such situations, the nurse executive is tasked with using their influence to shape hospital practice policies, thereby supporting a comprehensive nursing scope of practice within their organization.
Research
Research is the first step in achieving this goal. To find areas where hospital policies are more restrictive than federal nursing laws, the nurse executive should conduct research. This will make it easier to decide which policies should be updated to support a full scope of practice for nurses. To change hospital practice policies, collaboration is essential (Maier et al., 2018). To reach a consensus on the advantages of broadening the scope of practice for nurses, the nurse executive must collaborate with other hospital stakeholders (Frogner et al., 2020).
Education
Another essential element of the process is education (Frogner et al., 2020). The nurse executive should provide statistics and evidence to demonstrate how expanded nursing practice enhances patient outcomes and hospital productivity. Following approval of changes, the nurse executive is responsible for ensuring their effective execution. Collaborating with the nursing staff is crucial to ensure they receive the proper support and training necessary to implement new policies and procedures effectively.
Conclusion
To summarize, a nurse executive needs to make hospital policies adhere to the state’s nursing scope of practice. The nurse executive must utilize their leadership role to revise hospital practice policies so that they align with the full scope of nursing practice, especially when internal rules are more restrictive than state regulations. By collaborating with colleagues, informing hospital leaders, pushing for policy revisions, and overseeing effective implementation, the nurse executive can ensure nurses practice to the full extent of their licensure.
References
Frogner, B. K., Fraher, E. P., Spetz, J., Pittman, P., Moore, J., Beck, A. J., Armstrong, D., & Buerhaus, P. I. (2020). Modernizing scope-of-practice regulations – Time to prioritize patients. New England Journal of Medicine, 382(7), 591-593.
Maier, C. B., Köppen, J., Busse, R., & MUNROS team. (2018). Task shifting between physicians and nurses in acute care hospitals: Cross-sectional study in nine countries. Human Resources for Health, 16.