Which of the following is an element of the nurse’s scope of practice as listed?

• A. Collaboration
• B. Documentation
• C. Budgeting
• D. Scheduling

Answer: (A)

Nurses function through teamwork and coordinating care to keep patients safe and seen as a whole. Collaboration fits this idea because nurses routinely communicate with patients, families, and every member of the healthcare team—physicians, therapists, social workers—to develop, implement, and adjust the plan of care. This interprofessional communication ensures continuity, safety, and advocacy for the patient, which are central to nursing practice.

Budgeting and scheduling are more about administrative management and staffing, not the direct nursing responsibilities, while documentation is a fundamental nursing task but the emphasis in this context is on the cooperative, communicative aspect of care.