Scope of practice

The Scope of Practice describes the procedures, actions, and processes that a healthcare practitioner is permitted to undertake in keeping with the terms of their professional license. The scope of practice is limited to that which the law allows for specific education and experience, and specific demonstrated competency. Each jurisdiction has laws, licensing bodies, and regulations that describe requirements for education and training, and define scope of practice.

Overview

In most jurisdictions, health care professions with scope of practice laws and regulations include any profession within health care that requires a license to practice such as physicians, surgeon's assistant, nurses, dietitians, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, occupational therapists and dentists among many others.

Governing, licensing, and law enforcement bodies are often at the sub-national (e.g. state or province) level, but federal guidelines / regulations also often exist. For example, in the United States, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the Department of Transportation has a national scope of practice for emergency medical services.