The Expanded Role in Nursing

Authors

  • D. Carol Anonsen

Abstract

First, because there seems to be a great deal of discussion about what the expanded role is, a few words about what the expanded role is not. One misconception is that the nurse working in the expanded role is a physician's assistant; another misconception is that the nurse is merely working as a physician substitute; another says she is a handmaiden to the physician. Nothing could be further from the truth. If the expanded role is not one of these, then what is it? The so-called expanded role is the nurse practising nursing in that area of the health care delivery system called the primary care area. It is an expansion of the practice of nursing to a part of the population with special needs not previously served by the nursing profession, a part of the population served traditionally by medical practitioners. Exceptions occurred in rural and sparsely populated areas and northern regions. These isolated nurses were and are mainly prepared in the school of experience and unrecognized for services rendered. It is indeed time that this area of function be recognized by the nursing profession and nurses providing these services in the community be well prepared to do so.

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Published

1974-04-13

Issue

Section

Articles