Clinical meaning
the clinician operates with an expanded scope that includes prescribing, diagnostic ordering, and procedural authority. NPs delegate to RNs and RPNs through standing orders, medical directives, and protocol-based care frameworks. Practice models vary by jurisdiction, with some allowing independent NP practice and others requiring collaborative agreements with physicians. The clinician must recognize when clinical complexity exceeds their scope and warrants referral to a physician specialist, while also coordinating interprofessional care across respiratory therapy, pharmacy, social work, and dietetics.