Background: Nursing is a vital profession in the hospital setting. With the increasing demand for healthcare the nurse’s role has evolved to address the changing needs of patients and healthcare systems. Objective: To describe the available knowledge regarding the activities performed by nursing professionals in the hospital setting. Methods: A scoping review was conducted according to Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. The databases Scopus, Pubmed and Virtual Health Library were used. Qualitative or quantitative articles concerning nurses' role in the hospital setting published in the last 5 years in English, Spanish or Portuguese were included. The gathered evidence was screened using Zotero for duplicates and Rayyan for double independent blind review of title and abstract. Data was extracted using a tool created by the researchers including variables related to referencing, population, context, and the concept of interest. Results: Seventeen articles of qualitative and quantitative approaches were included, evaluating a total of 2384 nurses from 27 countries across all continents. Nursing activities were defined based on the 11 different services identified in the hospital setting, encompassing various roles ranging from general nursing to specialized nursing. Conclusions: The role of nursing professionals is complex, and their functions vary according to the service and area in which they work. The identified role has implications for clinical practice and research since it has evolved in response to healthcare needs. The profession has an increasingly more active role with participation in decision making, healthcare management and policy making. There is a global inclination to transfer activities from other healthcare workers to nurses, as seen in pharmacological care.
