Scope of nursing practice in medical-surgical hospitalization and intensive care units

Abstract

Aim

To analyze the scope of nursing practice in medical-surgical and intensive care units in the Spanish context and its relationship with individual characteristics of nurses and their work environment.

Methods

A cross-sectional observational study was carried out in 29 medical-surgical hospitalisation units and five intensive care units for adults in the public network of Navarre. The main variable, nurses' scope of practice, was measured using the Spanish version of the D'Amour questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data, with a significance level of 0.05.

Results

A total of 310 nurses participated in the study, and the results showed acceptable levels of nursing scope of practice. Age and working in intensive care units were significant factors in identifying differences in nurses' scope of practice activities. The correlation analysis revealed a statistically significant association between age and the likelihood of expressing lower scores in the dimension "Patient- and family-centered care." In contrast, younger nurses exhibited significantly lower scores in the "Quality of care and patient safety" dimension.

Conclusions

To address the shortage of nurses in health systems, it is essential to understand the scope of nursing practice. The challenge is not only to increase the number of nurses but also to ensure that they are working in the full range of their professional roles.