Professional Nursing Concepts

Running head: NURSING 1
Professional Nursing Concepts
Name
Institution

NURSING 2
Scope of Practice within Nursing
Introduction
Professional nursing concepts may be defined as mental images, mental formulation,
abstractions, and words that nurses use to construct mental images that help in enhancing
practice. Nursing concepts are used to develop theories that may be crucial in the provision of
quality care (Finkelman, 2017). Examples of professional nursing concepts include the aim of
healthcare, clinical theory, the scope of practice, cognitive styles, and intuitive thinking among
others. In this paper, I will talk about the definition of the scope of nursing practice. I will
additionally discuss the registered nurses’ scope of practice according to the healthcare system in
Australia. Furthermore, I will identify and reflect upon a particular area of clinical practice that I
would wish to pursue in the future.
Scope of Practice
Scope of practice within nursing may be defined as the activities and services that a qualified
nurse is authorized to perform according to the terms of their professional licenses (Lubbe &
Roets, 2014). These activities that a registered nurse is authorized to perform are complemented
by the nursing standards and the conditions set by the NMBA. The scope of practice in nursing
requires that a nurse provides care wherever and whenever there is a need of the same.
Registered Nurses’ Scope of Practice in Australia
According to Birks, Davis, Smithson & Cant (2016), the profession of nursing constitutes the
largest regulated health workforce in Australia. There is a lot of ambiguity that surrounds the
scope of practice in nursing that limits the practitioners’ ability to adequately respond to the
emerging health issues in Australia (Birks et al., 2016). The nursing scope of practice is defined

NURSING 3
by the registered nurse in accordance with the NMBA. According to the NMBA, the scope of
practice in nursing allows the registered nurse to diagnose and treat several health conditions
(Cashin et al., 2017). Additionally, the RN is allowed to design and implement the appropriate
therapeutic regimes that are suitable for the healthcare system of Australia. Initiation of referrals
to other practitioners is also within the scope of nursing practice. Medication prescriptions and
interpretation of radiology and pathology tests are also performed by registered nurses (Cashin et
al., 2017).
Reflection
I was previously placed at the emergency department at Juninga Centre Nursing Home where I
encountered several old patients who needed aged care. Most of the patients at this nursing home
were aged above 65 years old and were either homeless or at risk of being homeless.
Additionally, they were mostly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People. Some patients were
given short-term care after coming from the hospital. This type of care was mostly recommended
for patients whose family members were not available. Those who were not able to live
independently at home were also given aged care at Juninga Centre Nursing Home. The primary
role of nurses in aged care is the provision of care to the elderly. The nurses at Juninga Centre
Nursing Home were tasked with giving medication to the patents, bathing and dressing them,
checking the vitals of the patient, and directing the enrolled nurses. Additionally, the nurses at
Juninga Centre Nursing Home were tasked with documenting all the patients in aged care and
admission of new residents.
The nursing profession is one of the most important professions because it prioritizes the care
and safety of the general population. Aim of health care and scope of practice were some of the
visible professional concepts from my placement at Juninga Centre Nursing Home. Health care