Description

Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice is the American Nurses Association’s foundational statement of what registered nurses in the United States do and the standards they are expected to meet. This page offers the 4th Edition, published by the American Nurses Association in May 2021 (192 pages in print). The publisher describes it as an essential document for every nurse practicing in the United States. It is a standards document rather than a clinical textbook: you read it to understand professional expectations, not to learn procedures.

Who needs Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice

• Nursing students on BSN, ADN and pre-licensure programmes whose courses on professional practice refer to the ANA standards.
• Registered nurses who want to anchor their practice, documentation or portfolio in the profession’s own standards.
• Nurse educators and preceptors designing curricula, competencies or clinical evaluations.
• Nurse managers, leaders and policy writers drafting job descriptions, policies or quality frameworks.

The document is written for practice in the United States. If you study elsewhere, check how your own regulator defines the nursing role. Our guide to nursing textbooks for students shows where a standards document fits beside your core texts.

What the document covers

As its title says, Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice has two complementary parts. The scope section describes the who, what, where, when, why and how of nursing practice. The standards section sets out the Standards of Practice, which follow the nursing process (assessment, diagnosis, outcomes identification, planning, implementation and evaluation), and the Standards of Professional Performance, which address areas such as ethics, communication, collaboration and leadership. Each standard is accompanied by competencies describing how it is demonstrated in practice.

To see the exact list of standards and competencies in the 4th Edition, browse the table of contents in the online FlipBook preview on this page.

About the 4th Edition

This page offers the 4th Edition of Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice, published by the American Nurses Association in 2021. The ANA revises the document periodically, and wording, standards and competencies can change between editions. If a course, employer or accreditation process cites a particular edition, make sure it matches the one you use.

How to use a standards document in study and practice

1. Map assignments to the standards. When you write a care plan or reflection, name the standard each step demonstrates.
2. Use the competencies as a self-assessment. Rate yourself against each competency before a placement or appraisal and pick two to work on.
3. Read it alongside the Code of Ethics. The American Nurses Association publishes related professional resources that complement this document.

Short, regular review sessions work better than one long read; our article on active recall explains how to retain definitions and standards.

Format, preview and access

A searchable PDF of Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice is convenient for quoting standards accurately in assignments. See PDF vs EPUB for medical textbooks.

Related nursing titles

• Policy & Politics in Nursing and Health Care, 8th Edition: how professional standards connect with health policy and advocacy.
• Notes On… Nursing Leadership: a concise introduction to leadership, one of the professional performance themes.
• Fundamentals of Nursing, 11th Edition: the clinical foundations behind the nursing process.
• Ackley and Ladwig’s Nursing Diagnosis Handbook, 13th Edition: practical support for the diagnosis and planning steps.

Frequently asked questions

Is Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice a textbook?

No. It is a professional standards document from the American Nurses Association. Use it with your clinical textbooks, not instead of them.

Which edition is this?

The 4th Edition, published by the American Nurses Association in 2021. Check that it matches the edition your course or employer requires.

Does it apply outside the United States?

It was written for nursing practice in the United States. Nurses elsewhere can use it for comparison, but their own regulator’s standards take precedence.

How do I access the eBook?

You get access after payment confirmation. See our FAQ for details.