How to achieve full scope?

10 Steps to Maximizing Nurses’ Full Scope of Practice Utilization in Primary Care Settings

  1. Remember this will require understanding of the  change process
     
  2. Make a decision to become a nursing full scope primary care organization
  • Make a decision with your team to maximize registered nurses and registered practical nurses’ full scope of practice utilization in your setting.
  • Start by Identifying key factors that can facilitate of hinder the achievement of this goal.

  1. Gain an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of RNs and of RPNs

  • Discuss the roles and responsibilities of RNs using the RN position description and of RPNs using the RPN position description, both of which are found in the Primary Solutions for Primary Care report.
     
  1. Conduct an RN gap analysis and conduct an RPN gap analysis to determine how the current roles relate to roles consistent with full scope of practice
  • The gap analysis will help you determine whether your organization is currently maximizing RNs and RPNs’ full scope of practice utilization.
     
  1. Discuss gap analysis results with the team
  • Acknowledge the areas in which RNs are consistent with the roles and responsibilities descriptions as found in the primary solutions report.
  • Acknowledge the areas in which RPNs are consistent with the roles and responsibilities descriptions as found in the primary solutions report.
  • Discuss the areas in which improvements can be made—such as areas that were noted as being ‘not consistently met’ or ‘not at all part the RN’s role or of the RPN’s role’.
  • Discuss what changes will be made to other staff roles when RNs and RPNs move to full scope.
     
  1. Create and implement an action plan to enable  RNs and RPNs work to full scope of practice, and to address any other role changes
  • See RN and RPN project plans
     
  1. Communicate to the entire team, partners, and clients.  Use the key messages that summarize the goals for maximizing full scope of practice utilization.

  • Inform nursing staff of resources available to them should they require/ like to pursue further training e.g. educational resources for RNs and RPNs.
  • Invite community partners to share about what it means to maximize RNs and RPNs full scope.
  1. Collect baseline structure, process, provider and client outcome data RN indicator examples

  1. Evaluate client, provider, and organizational outcome data
     
  1. Share outcome data with the team regularly and review what is working and what needs to change, to achieve and sustain full scope of practice utilization
  • Share outcome data with the team regularly
  • Share successes with team, modify areas that are not going as well as expected, embed changes in policy and other organisational practice, position descriptions, orientation, vision, mission, performance appraisal