ENsCOPE: Scoping the Practice of Enrolled Nurses in an Australian Community Health Setting

Area of Science:

• Nursing Practice
• Healthcare Delivery
• Health Policy

Background:

• The shift towards community-based healthcare increases patient acuity and complexity.
• Nursing shortages and financial pressures drive policy changes, including tiered nursing roles.
• Enrolled nurses face challenges in fully utilizing their scope of practice in community settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare registered nurse (RN) and enrolled nurse (EN) perspectives on current and potential EN scope of practice.
• To investigate opinions on 27 core community nursing skills within a large Australian community nursing team.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional survey design.
• Involved 136 nurses: 115 RNs and 21 ENs.
• Assessed opinions on 27 core community nursing skills.

Main Results:

• Substantial agreement between RNs and ENs on scope of practice.
• Statistically significant differences noted in 'Patient Education' and 'Clinical Observation' skills.
• RNs identified specific skills (e.g., catheter, gastrostomy care) suitable for ENs with additional training.

Conclusions:

• RNs generally agree with expanding EN scope of practice.
• Education strategies are recommended to foster confidence in advanced EN skills.
• Prioritizing full scope of practice for nurses is crucial for efficiency and quality care amidst rising demand.