Nursing Administration: Scope and Standards of Practice

Standards of Nurse Administration Practice 1- 6

  1. Assessment: The nurse administrator collects comprehensive data pertinent to the issue, situation or trends.
  2. Identifies issues, problems or trends: The nurse administrator analyzes the assessment data to determine the issues, problems or trends.
  3. Outcomes Identification: The nurse administrator identifies expected outcomes for a plan individualized to the situation.
  4. Planning: The nurse administrator develops a plan that prescribes strategies and alternatives to attain expected outcomes.
  5. Implementation: The nurse administrator implements the identified plan.
    1. Coordination of Care: Provides leadership in coordination of multidisciplinary healthcare resources
    2. Health Promotion, Health Teaching and Education: Employs strategies to foster health promotion, health teaching, and the provision of other educational services and resources.
    3. Consultation: Provides consultation to influence the identified plan, enhance the abilities of others and effect change.
  6. Evaluation: The nurse administrator evaluates progress towards attainment of outcomes.

Standards of Professional Performance 7

Quality of Practice: The nurse administrator systematically enhances the quality and effectiveness of nursing practice, nursing services administration and the delivery of services.

  1. Demonstrates quality by documenting the application of the nursing process in a responsible, accountable, and ethical manner
  2. Incorporates new knowledge to initiate changes
  3. Uses results of quality improvement practices to initiate changes in nursing practice
  4. Obtains and maintains professional certification

Standards of Professional Performance 8

Education: The nurse administrator attains knowledge and competency that reflects current nursing practice.

  1. Participates in ongoing educational activities regularly
  2. Seeks learning opportunities that reflect current practice to improve skills and competence in nurse administrator role.
  3. Acquires knowledge and skills appropriate to specialty area.
  4. Uses current research findings to enhance role performance and increase knowledge of professional issues.

Standards of Professional Performance 9

Professional Practice Evaluation: The nurse administrator evaluates one’s own nursing practice in relation to professional practice standards and guidelines, relevant statutes, rules and regulations.

  1. Applies knowledge of current practice standards, guidelines, statutes, rules and regulations in practice.
  2. Demonstrates respect for diversity in all interactions.
  3. Interacts with peers and colleagues to enhance own professional nursing practice.
  4. Participates in systemic peer review of others as appropriate.

Standards of Professional Performance 10

Collegiality: The nurse administrator interacts with, and contributes to the professional development of peers and school personnel as colleagues.

  1. Shares knowledge and skills and provides feedback with peers and colleagues
  2. Models expert practice to interdisciplinary team members and healthcare consumers.
  3. Participates in multi-professional teams that advance nursing practice and health services.

Standards of Professional Performance 11

Collaboration: The nurse administrator collaborates with all levels of nursing staff, interdisciplinary teams, executive leaders and other stakeholders.

  1. Communicates with necessary stakeholders the nurse’s role in the provision of care
  2. Collaborates in creating documented plan focused on outcomes and decisions related to care and delivery of services
  3. Models an interdisciplinary process with other members of the healthcare team.
  4. Documents plans, communications, rationales for plan changes, and collaborative discussions.

Standards of Professional Performance 12

Ethics: The nurse administrator integrates ethical provisions in all areas of practice.

  1. Maintains confidentiality within legal and regulatory parameters.
  2. Assures a process to identify and address ethical issues within nursing and the organization.
  3. Informs administrators or others of risks or benefits of programs that affect healthcare delivery.
  4. Demonstrates a commitment to practicing self-care, managing stress, and connecting with self and others.

Standards of Professional Performance 13

Research: The nurse administrator integrates research findings into practice.

  1. Utilizes the best available evidence, including research findings to guide practice decisions.
  2. Assures research priorities align with the organization’s strategic plans and include an appropriate nursing focus.

Standards of Professional Performance 14

Resource Utilization: The nurse administrator considers factors related to safety, effectiveness, cost, and impact on practice in the planning and delivery of nursing services.

  1. Evaluates factors such as safety, effectiveness, availability of cost and benefits, and impact on practice.
  2. Develops evaluation methods to measure safety and effectiveness for interventions and outcomes.
  3. Assures that resource allocations are based on identified needs and valid nursing workload measures.
  4. Leads in promoting the appropriate use of innovative applications and new technologies.

Standards of Professional Performance 15

Leadership: The nurse administrator provides leadership in the Professional practice and the profession.

  1. Works to create and maintain healthy work environments.
  2. Displays the ability to define a clear vision, goals, and a plan to implement and measure progress.
  3. Assures that protocols reflect evidence-based practice and addresses emerging problems.
  4. Serves in key roles in the school and work settings by participating in committees, councils, and administrative teams.

Standards of Professional Performance 16

Advocacy: The nurse administrator advocates for the protections and rights of individuals, families, communities, populations, healthcare providers, nursing and other professions especially related to health and safety.

  1. Supports the involvement of individuals in their own care.
  2. Evaluates factors related to privacy in the use and handling of health information.
  3. Strives to resolve conflicting expectations and preserve the professional integrity of the nurse.
  4. Demonstrates skill in advocating before providers, public representatives

Based on ANA Nurse Administration: Scope and Standards of Practice (2009)