ABSTRACT
AIM: To provide national consensus on the range of conditions community practitioner nurse prescribers manage and for which it is considered important that they can prescribe. BACKGROUND: Around 35,000 community practitioner nurse prescribers in the United Kingdom are able to prescribe from a limited formulary. Although prescribing is a key role for these nurses, there has been a decline in the numbers of community practitioner nurse prescribers who prescribe. It is evident that changing patterns of client and service delivery, changes the role of community nurses and the conditions they manage, however, little is known about the conditions community practitioner nurse prescribers manage. DESIGN AND METHODS: A modified Delphi approach comprising three on-line surveys delivered to a national Expert Panel of 89 qualified community practitioner prescribers. Data collection took place between January-March 2017. RESULTS: Panelists reached a consensus, with consistent high levels of agreement reached, on nineteen conditions for which it is believed community practitioner nurse prescribers should be able to prescribe. Conditions identified by school nurses (N = 12) and health visitors (N = 7) were mainly acutely focused, whereas those identified by district nurses (N = 9) and community staff nurses (N = 6) included both long-term and acute conditions. CONCLUSION: Given the high degree of consensus, this list of conditions should influence any decisions about the items community and public health nurses should be able to prescribe. The findings should also influence the education and training of these nurses.
ABSTRACT
AIMS: This paper reports on a Training Needs Analysis for Non-Medical Prescribers commissioned by a south of England Strategic Health Authority. BACKGROUND: The aim of the TNA was to inform future policy, educational provision and practice development and provide nurse managers with significant information on the perceived Continuing Professional Development (CPD) needs of the non-medical prescribers. METHODS: Data were collected from a sample of 270 non-medical prescribers using an in-depth questionnaire, and telephone interviews with a purposive sample of 11 key stakeholders. RESULTS: The findings report: * The qualifications that non-medical prescribers possess. * The level of confidence described by the non-medical prescribers in their role. * What non-medical prescribers identify as their present and future CPD requirements in relation to prescribing. * What education and training provision non-medical prescribers have attended in relation to their prescribing role since qualifying. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest, first that short courses that were specific to the non-medical prescribers role were considered to be the most popular and useful. However, courses needed to be advertised well in advance. Second, training gaps were identified. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Pharmacology and prescribing are rapidly changing and require regular CPD in order to keep up to date with the latest developments. Non-medical prescribing is a comparatively new innovation to the NHS, therefore those who are not medically qualified need mentorship from experienced prescribers, as well as the encouragement from nurse managers to be confident prescribers themselves and enhance patient care.
