Differentiating Scopes of Practice in Nursing Homes: Collaborating for Care

Hospitalizations of nursing home residents are costly and adversely affect the health of already vulnerable residents, and reducing avoidable hospitalizations has been identified as a priority quality and safety outcome by the U.S. government. However, existing interventions to reduce hospitalizations do not account for differences in scopes of practice among licensed nursing staff. This article describes the development of an educational innovation for nursing home staff members to learn to collaborate in ways that differentiate registered nurse and licensed practical/vocational nurse scopes of practice and strengthen connections among licensed and unlicensed nurses to improve detection and management of conditions associated with avoidable hospitalizations.The innovation was developed using situated learning theory and facilitated unfolding case discussions, reflecting the actual care environment. Evaluation data indicated the feasibility of this approach to staff education.

Duke Scholars

Author Kirsten N Corazzini School of Nursing

Author Eleanor Schildwachter McConnell School of Nursing

Author Ruth A. Anderson School of Nursing