The profession of nursing is one of the health care divisions that have significantly
moulded the delivery of patient care. Among all the clinicians, nurses have a direct impact on the
health outcome of a patient. This is because they spend most of the time with patients providing
vital services especially during the process of recovery (Stefancyk et al., 2013). Currently, the
nursing profession has different types of care giving professionals including unlinked personnel,
licensed practicing nurse, and practitioners and registered nurses. These professionals have
different scopes of practice as defined by the board of nursing (Huber, 2013).
I have come to learn that it is important to understand my scope of practice in the health
care sector so that I can provide quality patient care .According to the nursing and midwifery
body of Australia, the scope of nurses depends on an individual’s level of training and the
polices of the particular hospital one goes for placement. As a student, it is important to
understand the hospital guidelines and procedures before undertaking any medical procedure.
During my placement at Monash hospital Clayton as a final year nursing student, I
understood how different hospital settings especially those providing acute care define nursing
scope of practice from different perspectives. Therefore, it is my personal initiative to research
on the standardized nursing scope of practice from the university. It is important to be aware of
the rules and regulations before placement as this will allow me work confidently as a nurse.
Having completed my placement at the hospital, I have learned how healthcare delivery has
greatly changed over the past few years. Being a novice in the nursing profession, I am in the
process of learning the scope and the practices of a nurse because I still have very little
knowledge regarding the extent of my practice. However, during the period I spent at the
hospital during my placement I felt that my confidence has grown.
CRITICAL REFLECTION ON SCOPE OF PRACTICE 3
I remember being confronted by one of the family members of a patient under my care
who questioned why I was silencing the IV pump; I was so terrified that I could not provide clear
rationale despite being aware that I had done the right thing. I had been told earlier by my bodies
nurse that the alarm occurs due to detection of air or blockage in the pump, or if a medicine has
finished infusing (White et al., 2013). In this case, the alarm rang because the infusing medicine
was finished. However, I still sought out to confirm if I had done the right thing. The bodies
nurse indeed confirmed that what I had done was right. By then I failed to realize that I lacked
confidence in effectively communicating my reasons for executing the task. With time, I have
been able to reflect on my practice and address some of the areas of weakness by being proactive
in seeking for further assistance in developing confidence during my practice to understand what
I am required to do (Tiew et al, 2013).
Therefore, I endeavour to always do my best when caring for patients. Reflecting back on
my practice I have so far achieved a lot from the time I embarked on my nursing course up to
this point that I am almost graduating. My placement experiences have enabled me to become
more competent as a nurse by understanding what is expected of me as a trained nurse. Initially,
I found it difficult to adjust to the work setting, but working in a supportive environment has
enabled me develop several skills and confidence to face patients and answer their questions
without fear.
CRITICAL REFLECTION ON SCOPE OF PRACTICE 4
References
Huber, D. (2013). Leadership and nursing care management. Oxford: Elsevier Health Sciences.
Stefancyk, A. et al (2013). The nurse manager: change agent, change coach? Nursing administration
quarterly, 37(1), 13-17.
Tiew, L. H. et al (2013). Student nurses’ perspectives of spirituality and spiritual care. Nurse education
today, 33(6), 574-579.
White, G. et al (2013). U.S. Patent No. 8,486,019. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.