NURSE PRESCRIBING

Nurse Prescribing



Nurse Prescribing

Introduction

Nurse prescribing means that the nurse has the authority to start medication for the patient without the doctor's advice. Before this, the nurse can only stop the medication that has been started by the doctors (Hourton, 2002 1875). So now with nurse prescribe, nurses can start the medication without depending on the doctor. This essay focuses on the nursing care received by a patient during practice placement in the community. The rationale for choosing this patient is because the author participated fully in providing care needs for this particular patient. A good nurse and patient relationship was developed which enabled the author to feel confident and at ease whiles providing care.

The author learnt and developed new skills, which will be essential for future clinical practice. In the recent health care development, there is a rapid and consistent change where the professional boundaries are persistently being redefined; as the nurses role has ever increasing responsibility. The change that has happened along with nurse prescribing is modern matron, nurse led clinic, nurse led discharge and nurse prescribe. Along with these progresses in nursing role there is a significant development in nurse prescribing. In this the writer will discuss regarding nurse prescribe, its development and the writers view regarding nurse prescribe and the impact of nurse prescribe in the current development.

Discussion

A nurse or midwife is legally authorised and regulated to independently prescribe medications for patients/clients in his/her care. He/she is responsible for the assessment of the patient, and determining the patient's problem (aided by the ordering and reviewing studies of appropriate laboratory and/or blood tests). A diagnosis is made that may require the prescription of a medication. The nurse/midwife has full accountability and responsibility for this action.

The independent nurse/midwife prescribing model is similar to the historical practice of a doctor prescribing medications. Internationally nurses and midwives utilising this model typically have been registered practitioners for a number of years and have extensive post registration education. According to some doctors, it is also a huge opportunity and it can work successfully, especially in chronic disease management. The doctors too think, these nurses should be trained nurse and general practitioner must be responsible for it. They welcome this development among nurses, as it is a positive step forward for the nurses. According to the doctors evaluation, some support the nurses to become drug prescribers as they think it expand their roles but the nurses need to follow a strict guideline and be responsible and accountable for prescribing errors.

Some doctors feel, nurses in specialized field should prescribe to patients in that specific area as to limit nurses prescribing powers. They must follow strict protocol and restriction. For this, the nurses need protocols and must be adequately trained. Nurses allowed prescribing from a limited drug list, which passed from Medical Products: Prescribing by Nurses Act House of Commons, legally in 1992. In 1994, nurse prescribing commenced in eight demonstrative sites in ...