Non-medical prescribing in an acute cardiac ward

April 10, 2009 by admin 

Non-medical prescribing in an acute cardiac ward can provide timely and safe access to medication, suggests the experiences of two nurse prescribers on their ward. These nurses have found that they are in a position to correct prescribing errors immediately, support prompt discharge by being able to prescribe discharge medication, increase patient involvement in treatment through their greater knowledge of medicines management, and that once they had got used to identifying appropriate situations, prescribing became second nature to them. Prescribing only really started once the formulary was opened up and its successful growth in this setting was through multidisciplinary collaboration, as suggested by the literature. These nurses have found that prescribing is never done in isolation, but tends to be discussed either before or afterwards. The authors found they could progress only with the support of other clinical prescribers in their specialty; the CPD group they attend cannot meet individual needs although it addresses wider prescribing issues.

Do you prescribe in an acute ward setting? If so, do share your experiences with others on the forum.

Goswell N and Siefers R. Experiences of ward-based prescribers in an acute ward setting. Br J Nursing 2009; 18(1): 34-37

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