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Background. Nurses are one of the largest and costliest groups in healthcare organizations; therefore, it is important to comprehend their scope of practice. Aim. To contribute to the improvement of nursing resource management in medical-surgical and Intensive Care Units by identifying factors that influence the scope of nursing practice. The hypothesis was that the activities carried out by nurses in medical-surgical units and intensive care units are influenced by individual and job-related factors, with job characteristics having an additive and moderating effect on individual characteristics. Materials and Methods. Cross-sectional correlational design to test the relationship between the individual and job characteristics on the nursing scope of practice measured by the Actual Scope of Nursing Practice (ASCOP) questionnaire. The sample consisted of 270 nurses. Linear mixed effects models analysis (LME) was used with the aleatory effect of the intensive care unit (ICU). Results. Belonging to the ICU decreased the scope of practice of nurses. We found a statistically significant effect of psychological demand, practice environment, role ambiguity, and growth need strength on the scope of nursing practice. The models explained a variance up to 24%. Conclusions. Although the survey results revealed the existence of broader scope of practice levels in Spanish hospital units than in the original Canadian study, the use of scope of nursing practice remains suboptimal. Higher levels on the psychological demand, the practice environment and in the individual growth need strength were related with a broader scope of practice. Otherwise, role ambiguity negatively affected the scope of practice. Implications for Nursing Management. This article provides an analysis of the impact of individual and job-related characteristics on the nursing scope of practice. It serves as a valuable resource for both managers and nurses, offering insights to improve nurses' working conditions and obtain more efficient workforces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Simulation-based education has been incorporated into nursing curricula as an educational strategy. However, its implementation has not yet been standardized in different regions. Purpose. The aim of this study is to describe simulation-based education in the nursing curricula in Catalonia and Andorra. Methods. An exploratory cross-sectional study was conducted in 2019 in which 16 universities participated. Results. The median dedication to clinical simulation in the nursing studies was 287.5 hours, with variations between universities (ranging from 24 to 516 hours). The dedication for the low-medium fidelity simulation was 89.4 hours (SD ± 58.3) and 26 hours (SD ± 17) for the high-fidelity simulation. All the universities had qualified teaching staff and facilities. Conclusions. There is variability in the implementation and use of simulation-based education among universities. However, there is consensus on its usefulness in nursing curricula. To integrate simulation training into the nursing curriculum, it is necessary to establish convergent simulation standards in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]