NHS Diabetes publishes new guidelines
April 29, 2010 by admin
NHS Diabetes has published new guidelines for downloading on topics such as hospital management of hypoglycaemia in adults and self-monitoring of blood glucose in people with Type 2 diabetes not treated with insulin.
NMP guide for commissioners published
April 29, 2010 by admin
‘Non-medical prescribing by nurses, optometrists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, podiatrists and radiographers. A quick guide for commissioners’ has been published by the National Prescribing Centre (NPC) to support organisations in effectively implementing non-medical prescribing. It points out that non-medical prescribing is part of a bigger picture of ongoing NHS reform and making best use of finite resources. The guide contains lots of examples of how non-medical prescribing has been used.
Why do nurses prescribe antibiotics for otitis media?
April 25, 2010 by admin
Why do nurse practitioners in primary care prescribe antibiotics for children with otitis media and what influences them to prescribe outside guideline recommendations? These were some of the issues explored in this interview-based study with eight nurse practitioners who were independent prescribers. Previous studies have suggested that nurse practitioners and physicians prescribe in a similar manner, but there has been little work on identifying and analysing the factors that lead them to prescribe antibiotics or how they think through their prescribing practice.
The evidence is that most cases of otitis media are viral and self-limiting and do not require antibiotics, with the option for a delayed prescription when the antibiotic indications are borderline or the parent needs reassurance. Most of the nurse practitioners described occasions when they would reject the guideline recommendations, and external influences were sometimes at play here (such as time of day, lack of family knowledge, location). The authors conclude that efforts to reduce antibiotic prescribing will need interventions that are workable in practice and focus on those situations where nursers override policy and research evidence.
Philp A and Winfield L. Why prescribe antibiotics for otitis media in children? Nurse Prescribing 2010; 8(1): 14-19.
Nurse prescribers resisting ‘mini-doctor’ role
April 25, 2010 by admin
Nurse prescribers were resisting becoming ‘mini-doctors’, striving instead to maintain a holistic, patient-centred nursing style while adopting prescribing, in this small, interview-based study of nurses who prescribe for people with diabetes and their colleagues.
The nurse prescribers wanted to retain the nursing focus - including holistic assessment, health promotion and patient-centred care - that they see as particularly important in the care of people with diabetes; doctors interviewed concurred that this style of consultation was important. Flexibility over consultation times is therefore vital and had been the subject of discussions in some settings. Interestingly, it is not the introduction of prescribing by nurses that threatens this model but the drive for greater service efficiency.
Perceived approaches to decision-making provided some interesting contrasts: nurses in general practice were seen as tending to make decisions within current guidance or protocols, referring to a doctor where necessary; diabetes specialist nurses (DSNs), however, reported that their roles involved the higher levels of decision-making skills traditionally associated with doctors - using clinical judgement to prescribe outside standard protocols. In general practice, nurses’ prescribing decisions were often monitored by doctors, perhaps because they were prescribing a wide range of medications including those for comorbidities. DSNs were highly specialised, prescribing from a narrow range of diabetes medications.
Stenner K, Carey N and Courtenay M. How nurse prescribing influences the role of nursing. Nurse Prescribing 2010; 8(1): 29-34.
Nurses prescribed 12.5million items in 2009
April 25, 2010 by admin
In 2009, NHS Prescription Services received for processing 12.5 million items that had been prescribed by nurses, which represents an increase of 11% on the previous year, according to figures published in March by the NHS Business Services Authority.
Prescribing by pharmacists in 2009 increased by 67% on the previous year, but is still concentrated in certain areas, with prescribing by pharmacists in five Primary Care Trusts accounting for just over half the total.
April CKS topics published
April 25, 2010 by admin
Four new topics have been added to the Clinical Knowledge Summaries (CKS) site in April: Achilles tendinopathy; parvovirus B19 infection; tinnitus; and vertigo.
Independent Prescribing: Practical Prescribing
April 25, 2010 by admin
I am a qualified independent/supplementary nurse prescriber. I am sometimes required to prescribe unlicensed medicines where I work. I know legislative changes took place in December 2009, however, I am still not certain whether I am able to prescribe these medicines. Can you advise?
To read the answer to this question, click here.
Independent Prescribing: Practical Prescibing
April 25, 2010 by admin
I am a qualified mental health nurse prescriber, having qualified as a prescriber two months ago. I have only just received my prescription pad and it is proving very difficult to arrange a supervisory session with the consultant with whom I work. I am losing confidence. Can you advise?
To read the answer to this question, click here.
Independent Prescribing: Practical Prescribing
April 25, 2010 by admin
I am a community matron and very interested in undertaking the independent/supplementary prescribing training programmme. I am unsure, however, whether I need to undertake a module in physical assessment and diagnosis before I do so. Can you give me some advice?
To read the answer to this question, click here.
Independent Prescribing: Practical Prescribing
April 25, 2010 by admin
I worked as a community diabetes nurse specialist up to 2004 and, after a career break, returned to work in 2009. I have just taken up a post as a community staff nurse. I also have the V150 prescribing qualification. Can I use the V150 in my current post?
To read the answer to this question, click here.
Categories
Recent Posts
- NPSA to be abolished
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- National approach pays off in Ireland
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