ANA Standards & Scope
]The American Nurses Association defines this component as "what" nursing practice is, establishing its specific boundaries.
What is the Scope of Practice?
Administering a vaccine or teaching a class on healthy diet choices before a disease occurs falls under this level of prevention.
What is Primary Prevention?
According to Provision 2 of the ANA Code of Ethics, a nurse's primary commitment is always directed here.
Who is the Patient (whether an individual, family, group, community, or population)?
These absolute lowest, most basic survival needs include food, water, shelter, air, and sleep.
What are Physiological Needs?
This acronym represents the widely adopted, standardized intraprofessional communication framework consisting of Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation.
What is SBAR?
These describe the specific actions and behaviors that all registered nurses are expected to perform, regardless of their role or specialty.
What are the Standards of Practice (or Standards of Professional Performance)?
Routine blood pressure screenings, mammograms, and early intervention therapies belong to this level of prevention, which focuses on early detection.
What is Secondary Prevention?
Provision 1 explicitly commands the nurse to practice with compassion and respect for this inherent human trait belonging to every person.
What is Inherent Dignity (and worth)?
Once basic survival is met, Maslow states humans seek out this second level of needs, which encompasses financial security and stable health.
What are Safety Needs?
This specific term refers to collaboration, communication, and professional relationships occurring completely within the exact same discipline (e.g., an RN talking to an LPN).
What is Intraprofessional communication/collaboration?
The first six Standards of Practice exactly mirror this 5-to-6 step clinical framework used by nurses to gather data, diagnose, and treat patients.
What is the Nursing Process?
Chronic disease management, rehabilitation programs, and interventions to prevent further complications after a disease is fully symptomatic fall under this level.
What is Tertiary Prevention?
Provision 5 states that a nurse owes the exact same ethical duties to this entity as they do to others, including promoting health and safety.
What is Self (Duties to Self / Self-Care)?
Friendship, community, intimacy, and shared group experiences fulfill this intermediate level of human psychological needs.
What are Belonging Needs (or Social Needs)?
This term refers to the exchange of information and collaborative partnerships built between entirely different medical disciplines, such as nurses, physicians, and social workers.
What is Interprofessional communication/collaboration?
This legal document establishes criteria for nursing education, outlines requirements for licensure, and defines the legal scope of nursing practice within a specific state.
What is the Nurse Practice Act (NPA)?
Age, race, genetics, and family history are classified as these types of traits because a person cannot actively change or alter them.
What are Non-Modifiable Risk Factors?
Provision 3 directs the nurse to take action on these two specific workplace safety concerns to safeguard patient rights and clinical care quality.
What are Questionable Practice and Impaired Practice?
This level of the pyramid focuses on a person's sense of self-confidence, personal dignity, and achievement in relation to others.
What are Esteem Needs?
The National Academy of Medicine emphasizes the absolute necessity of this workplace culture attribute, allowing junior team members to speak up about safety concerns without fear of retribution.
What is Psychological Safety?
Performing clinical tasks or nursing interventions completely outside of your designated training and legal boundaries constitutes this specific clinical violation.
What is Breaching Scope of Practice?
Healthy People 2030 highlights these non-medical, environmental conditions that impact a patient's everyday life, functioning, and overall health outcomes.
What are Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)?
This clinical violation involves a nurse unlawfully taking a patient's controlled substances or medications for their own personal use or profit.
What is Medication Diversion?
Occupying the very peak of the pyramid, this condition involves a desire to explore, create, and become the absolute best version of oneself.
What is Self-Actualization?
Hierarchy, personality differences, professional jargon, historical rivalries, and disruptive behavior are all classified as common roadblocks to this clinical goal.
What are Barriers to Interprofessional Communication/Collaboration?