New definition of nursing captures profession’s complexity
Posted 26 September 2023 - 14:30
The RCN has updated its 20-year-old definition of nursing to emphasise the safety-critical nature of the profession and its increased complexity
A new definition of nursing that reflects the safety-critical role and increased complexity of the profession has been launched.
Update to definition reflects the changes in the profession over the past 20 years
The RCN definition of nursing was last updated 20 years ago. The college said the updated definition recognises the enormous changes to the profession and responsibility of registered nurses during this time.
Alongside the new definition, eight revised principles of nursing have also been published. They set out what everyone can expect nurses to do to deliver safe and effective care.
The RCN’s new definition of nursing
Nursing is a safety-critical profession founded on four pillars: clinical practice, education, research and leadership.
Registered nurses use evidence-based knowledge, professional and clinical judgement to assess, plan, implement and evaluate high-quality person-centred nursing care.
The work of registered nurses consists of many specialised and complex interventions. Their vigilance is critical to the safety of people, the prevention of avoidable harm and the management of risks regardless of the location or situation.
Compassionate leadership is central to the provision and coordination of nursing care and informed by its values, integrity and professional knowledge. Responsibility includes leading the integration of emotional, physical, organisational and cognitive nursing work to meet the needs of people, organisations, systems and populations.
Registered nurses are decision makers. They use clinical judgement and problem-solving skills to manage and coordinate the complexity of health and social care systems to ensure people and their families are enabled to improve, maintain or recover health by adapting, coping, and returning to live lives of the best quality or to experience a dignified death. They have high levels of autonomy within nursing and multi-professional teams, and they delegate to others in line with the NMC code.
Definition ‘underpins RCN professional framework’
The RCN professional nursing committee chair Rachel Hollis said: ‘This has been a hugely important piece of work by the RCN and will help ensure that registered nurses are valued and respected and the scope of their work is acknowledged.
‘It will underpin the RCN professional framework, which is designed to provide clarity on levels of practice and will establish a career framework for nurses, developed by nurses.’
The definition and principles will be drawn into a digital resource launching by the end of the year.
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