Bedside nurses' antimicrobial stewardship practice scope and competencies in acute hospital settings: A scoping review

Abstract Aim To identify and map bedside nurses' practice scope and competencies regarding antimicrobial stewardship in acute hospital settings, and develop a competency framework for them. Background Antimicrobial stewardship requires multidisciplinary engagement including nursing. However, bedside nurses' antimicrobial stewardship practice scope and competencies in acute hospital settings remain unclear. Design Scoping review. Methods Using a five‐stage framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley and following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta‐Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. Results A total of 1422 records were retrieved, and 41 studies were included. In addition to the six practices recommended, this review summarized bedside nurses' contributions to five additional fields as well. Correspondingly, the competencies required by bedside nurses were summarized into eight domains: specialized knowledge, safety medication administration, leadership, education, diagnostic stewardship, infection prevention and control, professional development and professional quality. Conclusion Nurses' practice scope overlaps greatly with routine nursing practice in antimicrobial stewardship, confirming the evidence that nurses are ideal partners in antimicrobial stewardship. This review developed a competency framework at both basic and advanced levels. Among them, professional knowledge is the foundation, while professional quality motivates nurses to participate. In addition to competency assessment, it can also be used for training and human resource deployment based on seniority or professional level. This could bridge the knowledge gap and improve the engagement of nurses in heavy workload situations. Relevance to clinical practice This practice scope will provide opportunities for nurses to engage in antimicrobial stewardship. Moreover, nursing competencies identified in this field could facilitate the development of competency‐based education interventions, talent assessments, training and recruitment programs. Data resources PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, CINHAL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, ProQuest and Scopus were searched from inception to November 2022, with an updated search in March 2023. Impact This scoping review provides evidence for best nursing practice scope and competency in antimicrobial stewardship in hospitals. However, it is also in line with the commitment of all nurses in the global community to combat antimicrobial resistance, which has become a global threat. An antimicrobial stewardship competency framework for bedside nurses was developed at both the basic and advanced levels. It would facilitate talent assessment, training, recruitment and human resource management by guiding the development of competency‐based education interventions. Patient or Public Contribution No Patient or Public Contribution.