Concept Analysis: The Scope of Practice of a Nurse Anesthetist in South Africa

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to propose a definition for the concept “scope of practice” as it applies to a nurse anesthetist in South Africa. Design: Concept analysis. Methods: Walker and Avant's procedure of concept analysis was followed. The actions included “Select a concept”; “Determine the purpose of analysis”; “Identifying uses of the concept”; “Determining the defining attributes”; “Identifying antecedents and consequences”; “Define empirical referents”; “Identify model case”; and “Identifying additional cases.” Findings: The concept ‘scope of practice’ as it applies to the nurse anesthetist in South Africa can be defined as the individual's competence, accountability, and responsibility as a health professional. The nurse anesthetist is (1) competent: ready to use skills and judgement in practice; (2) accountable: able to be registered as a nurse anesthetist and willing to abide by the regulations; and (3) responsible: upholding professionalism and demanding recognition from the public and peers. Conclusions: A definition (revealing the concept's structure) and it's uses (revealing the concept's function) for “scope of practice” of a South African nurse anesthetist is proposed for the consideration of introducing nurse anesthesia to provide safe and affordable anesthesia services in South Africa. This article forms part of a larger study titled “A Model for Nurse Anaesthesia Practice in South Africa.”