What Are The Purposes of the Standards of Nursing Practice

Standards of nursing practice are the baseline for quality nursing care that hold the nursing profession accountable for delivering consistent, high quality health care services. These standards provide a template for nursing care and are guidelines used to determine what nurses should and should not do. Nursing standards reflect the values and expectations of the profession and are used to evaluate performance for ongoing training and skill enhancement. The standards include direction for the delivery of caring, compassionate and ethical patient care.

Background

• Nursing standards direct the knowledge, judgment and attitudes required for nurses to safely practice medicine. Standards are based on the expected and desired level of performance, and actual nursing performance is compared to the standards for evaluation and management.

Expectations

• Nursing standards outline the expectations of the nursing profession by providing nurses with a framework to develop skills and competencies. These standards outline performance expectations, such as medication administration techniques, protecting patient safety and monitoring medical equipment. The standards ensure delivery of consistent health care services and guide quality nursing practice.

Evaluation

• Nursing standards enable supervisors and managers to evaluate nurse proficiency and skill level against expected norms, such as observing a nurse's ability to address cultural sensitivities or safely deliver care to burn victims. These standards are also critical for self-assessment and enhanced skill development by individuals who must continually increase their ability to develop quality improvement plans and effectively monitor outcomes of care.

Accountability

• Nursing standards ensure that the highest levels of quality are promoted and are used to maintain professional integrity for individual nurses and the profession. They are authoritative statements used to describe the responsibilities of all nurses and practitioners. They hold nurses accountable to the public for professional job performance and to patients for optimal patient outcomes.