02/05/2025

Invitation to Participate in Small Taskforce to Provide Expert Guidance for New International Scope & Standards for Home-Based Nursing Practice

Introduction

Over the past year, the IHCNO and the ANA have conducted a research study consisting of 4 surveys. The first survey explored the status of home-based nursing around the world. We also surveyed home-based nurses worldwide about what they felt the scope, standards, and competencies should be for their country into the future. The findings from these surveys are serving as the foundation for the new International Scope & Standards for Home-Based Nursing Practice.

We now need a taskforce of 12 IHCNO members, representative of different countries around the world and different types of home-based nursing. This Task Force will review the research findings, consider nursing literature applicable to home-based nursing, and will provide the project with their expert opinions about what a final version of Scope and Standards for Home-Based Nursing should be. We need taskforce members who can represent all the different areas of nursing practiced in the home – (Intermittent home visits, hospice/palliative care, primary care, personal care services, hospital-at-home, and maternal child health).

After the Task Force formalizes their recommendations for the final version, the document will be open to all home-based nurses for review before the document is finalized and published.

Task Force Member Qualifications

We especially seek nurses who:

• Will be committed to working on the project until completed, which we anticipate will be December 2025.
• Are members of the IHCNO. (Membership site is at www.IHCNO.org, Become-a-Member.)
• Are passionate about promoting excellence in home-based nursing practice.
• Are able to commit about 5 to 6 hours per month to the project.

Task Force Member Responsibilities

On a monthly basis on the 2nd Tuesday of each month, April through December 2025, members will be asked to:

• Review drafts of the different sections of the developing Scope & Standards.
• Provide comments, concerns, and suggested revisions for the reviewed sections in writing, to project leads, Marilyn Harris and Mary Narayan, via e-mail.
• Participate in a monthly virtual discussion meeting (recorded) to discuss members’ comments and to determine what the next draft of the segment should be. Monthly meetings will last about 1 ½ hours.
• If a member cannot make meeting dates/times, the member may review the recording of the meeting and will provide their own comments about the discussion to the Task Force leaders via e-mail.

If you are interested in participating in this task force:

• Complete the attached form.
  • Task Force Interest Form
• Email form to mharris555@verizon.net by March 1.
• We will review the responses and select Task Force members based on geographic diversity and types of nursing needs.
• You will be notified by March 15 of your selection.

Marilyn Harris, RN, MSN, NEA-BC, FAAN
Mary Narayan, RN, PhD, HHCNS-BC, CTN-A, FTNSS