PATIENTS HAVE improved access to medication and are sticking to their medication regimes better since the introduction of nurse prescribing in Ireland, a new survey reveals.
The research, carried out by the School of Nursing and Midwifery at University College Cork, shows that nurse prescribing has been an innovative and welcome addition to the role of the Irish nurse, which has led to an improvement in patient satisfaction.
To date, 631 nurses and midwives have undertaken the HSE-funded nurse prescribing programme nationally. They are employed in 78 different clinical areas from primary to tertiary care within the health service.
The first cohort of qualified nurse prescribers in Ireland was registered in January 2008. Prospective nurse prescribers must complete an approved six-month course and adhere to a set of practice standards and competencies for prescribing.
Rena Creedon, nurse prescribing programme co-ordinator at UCC, said: “Nurse prescribing is in its infancy in Ireland, however, professional boundaries are already being redefined with nursing roles having an ever increasing responsibility.”
Nurses surveyed reported that being able to prescribe was a great benefit, particularly for patients with chronic disease and pregnant women.
One of the main barriers identified by the survey participants was the extra administration load associated with nurse prescribing.
The survey results were presented at an interdisciplinary conference on nurse and midwife prescribing hosted by the Departments of Nursing, Pharmacy and Medicine and the College of Medicine and Health at UCC on Friday last.
