Optimizing nurses' enacted scope of practice to its full potential as an integrated strategy for the continuous improvement of clinical performance: A multicentre descriptive analysis

Aim: This study aims at better understanding the relationships between nurses' enacted scope of practice, work environment and work satisfaction, missed care, and organizational indicators of performance.

Background: The enacted scope of practice model describes the determinants and consequences of the actual enactment of the nursing scope of practice.

Method: A correlational design was used to investigate nurses' enacted scope of practice in five Canadian healthcare centres.

Results: Suboptimal enacted scope of practice were found in the current sample. Significant positive correlations were found between the total enacted scope of practice score, use of qualification, control over tasks, decisional latitude and psychological demand as well as role ambiguity. Moreover, a higher enacted scope of practice was correlated with lower organizational indicators of short-term absenteeism.

Conclusion: Results suggest an insufficient deployment of nurses' enacted scope of practice, likely caused by some job characteristics, leading to lower work satisfaction and negative patients and organizational outcomes.

Implications for nursing management: Optimizing nurses' enacted scope of practice would be a significant integrated strategy for improving organizational performance, patient care and nurses' satisfaction and well-being. Nurses and frontline managers must be involved in the decision-making process necessary to improve nurses' enacted scope of practice.