Conference Proceedings - School of Nursing & Midwifery - Trinity ...

School of Nursing & Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin: 8 th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference
Transforming Healthcare Through Research, Education & Technology: 7 th – 9 th November 2007
Conference Proceedings
the study (n = 62, 73%) were staff nurses, while the remaining
were Clinical Nurse Manager 1 (n = 8) and Clinical Nurse Manager 2
(n = 15). The average years that the respondents were qualified as
registered nurses were 14.7 and the average number of years that
respondents had worked in their current area of practice was 7.8
years.
Approximately half the sample (n = 45, 51.7%) indicated that they
were had extended or expanded their clinical roles. Table 2
illustrates the areas that nurses in the study had extended or
expanded into and the number of respondents who performed the
various extended or expanded roles in their clinical areas of
practice. The most common extended or expanded duties
performed were venepunture, followed by emergency defibrillation.
Table 2 Frequency of Respondents Performance of
Extended/Expanded Roles
Venepuncture
IV cannulation
Defibrillation
ECG recording and reading
ABG analysis
Teaching and assessment
Applying POP
Temporary pacing
Frequency
37
7
21
8
1
5
5
1
Crosstabulation of data indicated that there was a significant
difference (p < 0.005) between the prevalence of extended and
expanded roles, and respondents’ area of clinical practice.
Crosstabulation of the data showed that a majority (n = 37, 86%)
of those who had extended or expanded their clinical roles worked
in specialist areas and a majority of those who had not worked in
general wards (n = 29, 69%).
The responses to the Scope of Professional Practice Scale illustrates
that a majority of the nurses (n = 80, 91%) who responded to this
study indicated that they were familiar with An Bord Altranais’
guidelines for the development of their scope of practice. Nearly the
same number of respondents (n = 79, 90%) felt that more inservice
information on the concepts would be desirable, while
86.4% (n = 76) believed that the training provided for the
extension and expansion of nursing roles were inadequate. More
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