Registered nurses' knowledge, attitude and practice regarding their scope of practice in Botswana

Area of Science:

• Nursing Practice
• Healthcare Policy
• Professional Regulation

Background:

• The scope of practice for registered nurses is crucial for defining professional boundaries.
• Registered nurses in Botswana face challenges and express concerns regarding their scope of practice.
• Limited research exists on registered nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and practice concerning their scope of practice in Botswana and the African context.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop guidelines for professional nurses.
• To explore and describe registered nurses' knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding their scope of practice in Botswana.

Main Methods:

• Convergent parallel mixed-methods design.
• Qualitative component data reported from semi-structured interviews with 30 registered nurses in Botswana's public health sector.
• Thematic content analysis was used for data analysis.

Main Results:

• Registered nurses demonstrated a lack of knowledge regarding their scope of practice.
• Attitudes towards expanded practice involved emotional adaptation, practicing beyond scope, and acquiring new skills.
• Nurses practiced beyond their scope due to a perceived lack of control, resource limitations, or patient consideration; guidance was inadequate.

Conclusions:

• Registered nurses in Botswana encounter scope of practice challenges, similar to other resource-limited African countries.
• Inadequate professional boundaries can negatively impact nursing care quality.
• Compromised nursing care has detrimental consequences for both patients and nurses.