國際專科護理師的執業範疇

Scope of Practice of Nurse Practitioner Worldwide

專科護理師的角色功能與執業範疇與健康照護體系的需求息息相關，而健康照護體系則是隨著人口結構、社會型態、生活方式及環境與疾病的改變產生變化。專科護理師在健康照護體系的需求下孕育而生，專科護理師的角色功能與執業範疇也隨各國各區域的健康照護需求及各國法律與醫院制度有所不同。本文論述各國發展狀況再探究其國際發展趨勢。未來趨勢可預期專科護理師角色功能更多元、執業範疇更廣及執業場所更多變。故專科護理師除了具備專業知識與技能，其適應力、學習力與潛力在面對多變的醫療環境下以提供高品質的健康照護是相當重要的關鍵。

The role/function and scope of practice of the nurse practitioner are associated strongly with the healthcare delivery system, which, in turn, is related to the structure of the population, societal pat-terns, the environment, and individuals’ lifestyles and diseases. The position of nurse practitioner was developed to meet the needs of the healthcare system, and their role/function and scope of practice vary by geographic area and hospital regulations. This article presents the development of the nurse practitioner role/function and scope in different countries as well as the trend toward the international development of nurse practitioners. In the future, we will likely see multiple role/functions of nurse practitioners and the expansion of the scope of practice, as conducted in a variety of settings. Thus, to provide high quality care, nurse practitioners need to have not only professional knowledge and nursing skills but also coping skills, learning capability, and the ability to meet the challenges of an unpredictable healthcare system.