Scope of Practice

How do you know you are working within yours? 

This session is designed to help nurses, midwives, and assistants in nursing (AINs) or carers (in the community setting) navigate their individual roles within the broader healthcare team, understand where their responsibilities begin and end, and collaborate effectively with others.
CPD HOURS: 1
 Registration Year 2024-2025

Course Content

In the fast-paced and ever-changing world of healthcare, understanding your scope of practice is essential not just for ensuring patient safety, but also for maintaining your confidence and professional integrity.

This session is designed to help nurses, midwives, and assistants in nursing (AINs) or carers (in the community setting) navigate their individual roles within the broader healthcare team, understand where their responsibilities begin and end, and collaborate effectively with others.

It is important to note The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) regulates the practice of nursing and midwifery in Australia and one of its key roles is to protect the public. The NMBA does this by developing standards, codes and guidelines which together establish the requirements for the professional and safe practice of nurses and midwives in Australia. The NMBA undertakes its functions as set by the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (the National Law), as in force in each state and territory.

Whilst Assistants in Nursing and Carers are not regulated by the NMBA Nurses and Midwives may work for organisations where Assistants in Nursing and Carers form part of the care delivery team. It is important that all members of such teams are aware of the Scope of practice framework to ensure safe and effective care delivery.
But knowing where one role ends and another begins isn’t always straightforward. This session will help demystify those boundaries, with a focus on the standards and regulations that govern your practice in Australia. Together, we’ll explore what it means to work within your scope, how to recognize when a task or responsibility is outside of it, and what steps to take if you find yourself in uncharted territory.

There are tools and frameworks available to guide your decision-making on the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) website which we will reference in the presentation. With these resources, you’ll gain the confidence to navigate the grey areas and work collaboratively with your colleagues while staying true to the values and standards that define safe, ethical care.

Why this session may be relevant to your work

To practice legally I need to work within my scope of Practice which means I need to practice within the skill and knowledge base I have at the time. This is important for patient safety but also clinician safety.

Learning Outcomes

In this session, you will:
  • Understand what Scope of Practice is and who defines your scope
  • Understand the different roles that make up the care team and what they are responsible for
  • Explore your responsibilities under the scope of practice guidleines
  • Reflect on your current work practice

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Sue Walker

RN, BN, BN (ADMIN), MPHC, MACN

Sue is the director and co-founder of the Nurses for Nurses Network. Sue is a key contributor to the online education platform Nursing CPD – a Continuing Professional Development platform to assist Nurses in meeting their annual CPD requirements.

As a Registered Nurse, Sue holds Degrees in both Nursing and Health Administration, a Master’s Degree in Public Health, and more...