The Legitimate Role of the Registered Nurse in Jordan:

The Jordanian staff nurse’s role, in the absence of an active professional body and a code of conduct and scope of practice mandated at national level, is largely guided by a Westernised nursing education system which may not necessarily be relevant to the nation’s developmental stage, its health care needs, nor its culture. This study aimed to explore the role of Jordanian medical-surgical staff nurses as perceived by patients, doctors and nurses across three health care sectors in order to provide evidence of role legitimacy. A survey design with a quota sample was utilised (n=963; 72% response rate). Main findings are discussed with reference to other significant findings pertaining to the context of nursing care in Jordan including organisation of care delivery, views on nurse competence, autonomy and family participation in care. The study leads to the development of a conceptual model of the legitimate role of the medical-surgical staff nurse within the health care setting.