Abstract:
The absence of scope of practice guidelines may lead to role ambiguity and legal conse quences in nursing practice. This study measures the scope of practice of nurses in Saudi Arabia.
The study utilized a descriptive cross-sectional design using an electronic version of the Arabic Actual
Scope of Nursing Practice (A-ASCOP) questionnaire among 928 nurses. Descriptive analysis was
followed by a t-test and an analysis of variance (ANOVA). Significance was assured through the
Bonferroni test; the effect size was measured through partial η2 when appropriate. The A-ASCOP
mean score of each dimension ranged from 4.29 to 4.72 (overall mean = 4.59). Significant overall
ASCOP score variations were evident, with higher ASCOP among expatriate nurses, females, Hos pital Operation Program (HOP) nurses, and nurses with postgraduate qualifications. Partial η2
showed a small effect of <0.016. Low-complexity nursing tasks showed insignificant differences no
matter the nurse’s position, but were less practiced by Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and
advanced-degree nurses than by those with a diploma education. High complexity of ASCOP was
practiced significantly more often by postgraduate-prepared nurses than by diploma-educated nurses.
The study showed that there is a range of variation in nursing practice, but that the lack of internal
regulations (nursing scope of practice) has no effect on nursing duties. In a country such as Saudi
Arabia, where massive national improvement initiatives are frequent, clearly defining the scope of
practice for nurses is essential and needs to be done through government mandates. Further studies
are essential to define what the scope of practice should include.