Full nursing potential: a concept clarification

Report a clarification of the concept of full nursing potential.

The Institute of Medicine and World Health Organization have called for the removal of barriers to allow nurses to practice to the fullest extent of their education and experience. Terms analogous to full nursing potential are prominent in the nursing literature. However, to date, there has been no clear definition of full nursing potential.

Concept clarification.

PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Google Scholar, and Ovid were searched for terms analogous to full nursing potential (nursing utilization, scope of practice, roles, and actualization).

Norris' concept clarification method was used to clarify the concept of full nursing potential. Following repeated observation and description, the concept was systematized, and a model and an operational definition were developed.

Systemization of the concept led to the proposal of the following definition: Full nursing potential is a dynamic state in which government regulations, institutional policies, adequate education, personal experience, environmental factors, and personal traits culminate to foster the essence of nursing, enabling nurses to deliver high-quality, patient-centered care and promote equitable social systems.

Realization of full nursing potential can help foster patient-centered care while combating social injustice.