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Summary
Registered Nurses (RNs) must embrace expanded roles, like first assisting, to retain technical skills. Failing to do so risks ceding these responsibilities to less trained personnel, diminishing the nursing profession.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Practice
- Professional Development
Background:
- Historically, nursing scope has expanded through the acceptance of new responsibilities.
- Nurses have previously ceded technical skills, such as the scrub role, to other personnel.
- The nursing profession risks losing valuable skills if current opportunities are not embraced.
Purpose of the Study:
- To advocate for Registered Nurses (RNs) to accept expanded practice roles, specifically first assisting.
- To highlight the importance of retaining technical skills within the nursing profession.
- To encourage patience and support for nurses undertaking advanced roles.
Main Methods:
- Historical comparison of nursing scope expansion.
- Discussion of professional responsibility and skill retention.
- Argument for proactive engagement in advanced practice.
Main Results:
- Nurses' ability to perform tasks like taking blood pressures and using defibrillators is now widely accepted.
- There is a risk of losing technical nursing skills if advanced roles are not adopted.
- Not all nurses will choose to function in expanded roles, but the option must be available.
Conclusions:
- RNs must actively pursue and accept expanded responsibilities to maintain professional relevance and skill.
- The pioneering spirit is essential for nursing to evolve and prevent skill erosion.
- Ensuring the availability of advanced practice options is crucial for professional choice and growth.