Concept Map of Factors Impacting Scope of Practice

Regulatory Factors

• Nurse Practice Act: The Nurse Practice Act (NPA) is a law that defines the scope of practice for nurses in each state. It outlines the activities that nurses are authorized to perform, as well as the educational and training requirements that must be met.
• Board of Nursing: The Board of Nursing is a state agency that is responsible for regulating the practice of nursing. It enforces the NPA and investigates complaints of nursing misconduct.
• Other Laws and Regulations: There are a number of other laws and regulations that may impact the scope of practice for nurses, such as those related to controlled substances, mental health, and patient privacy.

Contributing Factors

• Education and Training: The level of education and training that a nurse has received is a major factor in determining their scope of practice. For example, a nurse with a master’s degree in nursing (MSN) may have a broader scope of practice than a nurse with an associate’s degree in nursing (ADN).
• Experience: The amount of experience that a nurse has can also impact their scope of practice. For example, a nurse with many years of experience in a particular area of nursing may be more skilled and competent at performing certain tasks than a nurse with less experience.
• Setting: The setting in which a nurse works can also impact their scope of practice. For example, a nurse who works in a hospital may have a different scope of practice than a nurse who works in a public health clinic.
• Interdisciplinary Teams: Nurses often work as part of interdisciplinary teams, which include other healthcare professionals such as physicians, pharmacists, and social workers. In these settings, it is important for nurses to understand the scope of practice for each member of the team so that they can work together effectively and safely.

Scenario

You, as the Population Health Nurse, receive a notice that there is an outbreak of measles in one of the daycare centers in town.

Implications for Clinical Decision-Making

As a Population Health Nurse, your primary responsibility is to protect and promote the health of the population. This includes working to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. When you receive a notice of a measles outbreak, you will need to take a number of steps to assess the situation and develop a plan to respond.

First, you will need to gather information about the outbreak. This includes identifying the number of cases, the population groups affected, and the potential for further spread. You will also need to learn about the vaccination status of the population in the affected area.

Once you have gathered this information, you can begin to develop a plan to respond to the outbreak. This plan may include the following activities:

• Contact the daycare center and the local health department. Work with these organizations to assess the situation and develop a plan to contain the outbreak.
• Educate the public about measles and the importance of vaccination. Provide information about the outbreak and the symptoms of measles. Encourage people to get vaccinated if they are not already immune.
• Offer vaccination clinics in the affected area. This will help to increase vaccination rates and prevent further spread of the disease.
• Monitor the outbreak and make adjustments to the response plan as needed.

Next Steps

The next steps that you take will depend on the specific circumstances of the outbreak. However, in general, you will want to focus on the following:

• Working with the daycare center and the local health department to contain the outbreak. This may involve isolating infected children, quarantining exposed children, and vaccinating all children and staff at the daycare center.
• Educating the public about measles and the importance of vaccination. This can be done through public service announcements, social media, and community outreach.
• Offering vaccination clinics in the affected area. This can be done through the daycare center, the local health department, or other community organizations.
• Monitoring the outbreak and making adjustments to the response plan as needed. This may involve increasing vaccination rates, providing additional education to the public, or taking other steps to prevent the spread of the disease.

Conclusion

As a Population Health Nurse, you play a vital role in preventing the spread of infectious diseases. When you are faced with an outbreak, it is important to take a systematic approach to responding. This includes gathering information, assessing the situation, developing a plan, and taking action. By working with other healthcare professionals and the public, you can help to protect the health of the population.