Everything to Know About Healthcare & Nursing Policies and Procedures  

As a nurse, it is crucial to understand the difference between nursing procedures and policies. Both are essential elements that contribute to patient and employee safety. Nurses need a basic understanding of the differences between the two concepts. A nursing procedure is a set of steps necessary to carry out a specific activity, such as administering medication. Policy, on the other hand, is a statement that guides an organization’s decisions and actions. This blog post will explore the differences between nursing procedures and policy, clearly define nursing policies and procedures, and discuss why both are necessary for healthcare settings.  

​​The Differences Between Nursing Policies and Procedures

Understanding the distinction between nursing policies and procedures is fundamental for providing safe and effective patient care. While often used interchangeably, these two concepts serve distinct purposes within a healthcare setting. 

Difference Between Policy and Procedure In Healthcare 

Although people often use them interchangeably, fundamental differences exist between the terms policy and procedure. Together, they create structure and consistency throughout an organization. The heart of all policies and procedures in healthcare is to provide patient safety. 

Policies are written statements that describe an organization’s guiding principles and structure. A healthcare organization’s written policies are like an umbrella that covers everything from organizational structure and human resources to nursing care and emergency management. 

Healthcare organizations create policies per CMS regulations, other applicable laws, accreditation organization standards, and industry best practices. Policies are typically written in broad terms that do not require frequent revision. 

Procedures are the instruction manuals for how to implement policies. They outline who will carry out tasks from beginning to end, the resources needed, and the required documentation. Procedures are more likely to need more frequent revision than policies. 

What are Nursing Policies? 

When it comes to nursing policies and procedures, nursing policies provide the framework for nursing practice within a healthcare organization. They offer guidance on a wide range of issues, including: 

• Scope of Practice: Defining the roles and responsibilities of nurses within the organization. 

• Standards of Care: Establishing expectations for the quality of nursing care provided. 

• Patient Rights and Responsibilities: Outlining the rights of patients and the responsibilities of nurses in upholding those rights. 

• Medication Administration: Providing guidelines for the safe and effective administration of medications. 

• Infection Control: Establishing protocols for preventing and controlling the spread of infections. 

Nursing policies are typically developed at the organizational level, but they may also be influenced by national guidelines and best practices established by professional organizations like the American Nurses Association. 

What are Nursing Procedures? 

Nursing procedures provide step-by-step instructions for carrying out specific nursing tasks. They translate the broad guidelines of nursing policies into actionable steps. Examples of nursing procedures include: 

• Inserting an IV Catheter: A detailed procedure outlining the steps for safely inserting an intravenous catheter. 

• Administering Medications: Procedures for different routes of medication administration (oral, IV, intramuscular). 

• Wound Care: Step-by-step instructions for cleaning and dressing different types of wounds. 

• Patient Assessment: Procedures for conducting a comprehensive patient assessment. 

Nursing procedures ensure consistency and standardization in nursing practice, promoting patient safety and positive outcomes. They are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect current evidence-based practices and organizational policies. 

Why are Nursing Policies and Procedures So Important? 

On a good day, you might not think about the policies and procedures behind the nursing care you provide. However, when faced with an unfamiliar situation or seldom-used technique, well-written nursing policies and procedures increase clarity and guide performance. For instance, if a new medication is introduced, a nurse can refer to the organization’s medication administration policy and the specific procedure for administering that type of medication. This ensures safe and consistent practice, even in unfamiliar territory. 

Nursing policies and procedures, when used together, promote consistent, high-quality clinical care throughout an organization. Therefore, organizations should write clinical policies and procedures with great care to ensure they align with current evidence-based research, accepted industry best practices, and applicable laws and regulations. Regularly reviewing and updating these documents is essential to maintain a high standard of care and adapt to evolving healthcare practices. 

Nursing Procedure vs. Policy Example 

To illustrate the difference between nursing policies and procedures, let’s examine the crucial area of medication administration. 

Policy: A comprehensive medication administration policy would outline the fundamental principles of safe medication practice. This might include guidelines on patient identification, medication verification, dosage calculations, and documentation requirements. However, it wouldn’t delve into the specific steps for administering different types of medications, such as intravenous (IV) medications. 

Procedure: In contrast, an IV medication administration procedure would provide detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to safely and effectively administer IV medications. This would cover aspects like: 

• Personnel: Identifying which healthcare professionals are authorized to administer IV medications. 

• Preparation: Outlining steps for preparing the medication, supplies, and patient. 

• Administration: Detailing the process of IV insertion, medication delivery, and monitoring for adverse reactions. 

• Documentation: Specifying the required documentation for IV medication administration. 

• Troubleshooting: Providing guidance on managing potential complications or adverse events. 

Why this works together: The policy sets the overarching framework for safe medication practices, while the procedure provides precise instructions for a specific type of medication administration. They complement each other to ensure consistent, high-quality care. 

Policies and Procedures in Healthcare 

Let’s explore a few more examples of how policies and procedures function within a healthcare organization. 

Examples of Healthcare Policies 

Some common examples of healthcare policies include: 

• Infection Control Plan: This policy outlines the organization’s overall approach to preventing and controlling the spread of infections. It might address hand hygiene practices, personal protective equipment use, environmental cleaning protocols, and isolation procedures. 

• Emergency Management: This policy establishes guidelines for responding to various emergency situations, such as fires, natural disasters, or medical emergencies. It might include evacuation procedures, communication protocols, and roles and responsibilities of staff members. 

• Human Resources: These policies cover a wide range of employee-related matters, including paid time off (PTO), the hiring process, performance evaluations, and disciplinary actions. 

As you can see, each of these policies encompasses a broad area, providing a framework for decision-making and action within the organization. 

Examples of Healthcare Procedures 

Here are a few examples of procedures that might fall under an organization’s Infection Control Plan: 

• IV Management: Procedures for IV insertion, care, maintenance, and troubleshooting. 

• Urinary Catheter Management: Procedures for urinary catheter insertion, maintenance, removal, and associated infection prevention measures. 

• Environmental Cleaning: Detailed procedures for cleaning and disinfecting patient care areas, equipment, and common spaces. 

• Isolation Precautions: Procedures for implementing different levels of isolation precautions (e.g., contact, droplet, airborne) based on the infectious agent. 

The number of procedures within a healthcare organization is extensive, covering nearly every aspect of patient care and operations. 

How MCN Solutions Can Help  

MCN Healthcare is the leading provider of policy management solutions specifically designed for the healthcare industry. Our healthcare policy management software simplifies the process of creating, organizing, and managing your policies and procedures, ensuring they are always up-to-date and easily accessible to your staff. Our healthcare policy and procedure library is the most extensive library available for healthcare organizations.  

Keep Your Healthcare and Nursing Policies and Procedures Simple 

To avoid confusion, remember that policies are like guidelines, and procedures are the instruction manuals. MCN Solutions simplifies the management of nursing policies and procedures. 

Schedule a demo today to see how our software can help your organization!