1. Nursing leaders have established standards of care and nursing practice to define the scope and quality of nursing. These standards are based on research, aim to be realistic, reliable, valid, clear, and measurable.
2. Standards of care provide guidelines for evaluating nursing care and determine if negligence has occurred. They define what nurses can and cannot do. Failure to meet standards of care could result in malpractice charges.
3. Standards of nursing practice provide a baseline for quality care and apply to all nursing specialties and settings. They govern nursing practice and assessment, diagnosis, care planning, intervention, and evaluation.