Nurse prescribing by children’s nurses: doctors’ views
September 15, 2009 by admin
What do doctors think about nurse prescribing in specialist children’s hospitals? This was one of the questions that this study set out to address, given that increasing numbers of specialist children’s hospital nurses are becoming prescribers.
Interviews with 11 doctors and three clinical leads in one specialist children’s hospital, performed as part of a larger study, revealed that the major benefits were thought to be improved access to medicines and better continuity of care, seen as a particular priority for children and their families. The doctors thought that nurses were able to provide patients with more medicines information than doctors and that nurses were in a better position to develop long-term relationships with their. The authors point out that because nurses at this hospital already worked at an advanced level, and were running their own clinics, prescribing was supporting existing structures.
The concerns of the doctors and clinical leads included: the selection of candidates for prescribing training; the need for doctors to have confidence in the ability of nurses becoming prescribers; clinical skills; and concerns or confusion about roles. It is important that nurses have acquired the appropriate clinical skills before they register for prescribing training. Doctors need to understand nurse prescribing, and good communication across the professional boundaries is vital for this.
Courtenay M and Carey N. Nurse prescribing by children’s nurses: views of doctors and clinical leads in one specialist children’s hospital. J Clin Nursing 2009; 18: 2668-2675.
Prescribing works well for specialist dermatology nurses
May 26, 2009 by admin
Nurse prescribing enhances the care of patients with dermatological conditions, with the benefits being most pronounced for patients of dermatology specialist nurses rather than general practice nurses, according to this case study of consultations between nurse prescribers and patients. The authors also highlight the need for nurses to give patients more information about their medicines if they are to be more involved in the decision-making process.
Interviews, questionnaires and videotaping were used in 10 practice settings across England where nurses prescribe for patients with dermatological conditions. The nurses believed that their prescribing decisions were improved by their holistic assessment approach and better prescribing knowledge. Patients rated their listening and treatment explanation skills, and the assessors who watched the tapes also rated the nurses’ ability to listen and deal sensitively with emotions.
The authors conclude that prescribing allows specialist dermatology nurses to contribute more effectively to dermatology services and that more research is needed to establish whether this is the case for other specialist areas.
Courtenay M, Carey N and Stenner K. Nurse prescriber-patient consultations: a case study in dermatology. J Adv Nursing 2009; 65(6): 1207-1217.
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