It is necessary for the licensed healthcare professionals to have a good knowledge of scope of nursing practice within their states while providing safe care to the patients or community. Scope of nursing practice is area of the nursing competency and specialized knowledge including nursing actions, procedures, and processes a nurse is trained to perform safely. Scope of nursing practice varies from state to state. It also depends on what kind of nursing specialty a nurse is qualified to practice. Generally, scope of practice is regulated by the boards of nursing and the Nurse Practice Act, but it also can also be influenced by other boards. For example, a scope of practice for nurse-midwives is regulated by the Board of Midwifery in some states.
