Table 4.

Scopes of practice provisions in the nursing acts

Provisions	India	Thailand	Myanmar	Nepal
Nurse defined	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Nursing defined	No	Yes	Yes	No
Midwife defined	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Midwifery defined	No	Yes	Yes	No
General scope of practice	No	Yesa	Yesb	No
Specific scope of practice (tasks)	No	No	No	No

^a“Professional Practice of Nursing means practice of nursing to individual, family and the community in the following actions: (1) to provide education, advice, counseling, as well as solving health problems; (2) to act and assist individuals physically and mentally, including their environment, in order to solve problems of illness, alleviate symptoms, prevent dissemination of diseases and provide rehabilitation; (3) to provide treatment, as mentioned in primary medical care and immunization; (4) to assist physicians to perform treatments. These actions shall be based on scientific principles and the art of nursing in performing health assessment, nursing diagnosis, planning, nursing intervention and evaluation.”²⁹

“Professional Practice of Midwifery means practice of midwifery to pregnant women, postdelivery women, their newborns and families in the following actions: (1) to provide education, advice, counselling, as well as solving health problems; (2) to act and assist pregnant women, postdelivery women, and their newborns physically and mentally, in order to prevent complications during pregnancy, delivery, and postdelivery; (3) to provide physical examinations, delivery of the baby and family planning services; (4) to assist physicians to preform treatments. These actions shall be based on scientific principles and the art of midwifery in performing health assessment, diagnosis, planning, intervention and evaluation.”²⁹

^b“Nursing Profession means a profession capable of rendering physical, mental, social nursing care needed by a sick person and also health care, mental and social needs of the family and relatives of such sick person. This expression includes rendering services in respect of better health care and disease preventive measures to the healthy persons.”^30–31

“Midwife Profession means rendering pre-natal care to pregnant women before delivery, and rendering safe delivery at the time of birth. This expression includes rendering care to mother and new born baby.”^30–31