I agree that prescribing should be seen as a responsibility to be taken seriously
and recognise why you expressed concern about the tone of the article - it is
unfortunate. However I would argue that the reason that nurse prescribing is
important to most nurses is because it can improve the care provided to
patients - not because it is a way to improve self esteem of the nurse.
Some practice and community nurses have roles which involve a high level of
clinical decision making for example in asthma, diabetes, wound care, family
planning and yet are unable to sign the prescription they themselves have
generated as a result of their consultation with the patient. Instead it is passed
on to the GP who I would suggest often just signs it without much, if indeed
any, discussion.
In addition we now have the recent, if torturous guidance, from the DoH on how
to draw up protocols to enable the nurse to give prescription only medicines
(eg a tetanus vaccine) and already a nurse has been issued with a caution by
the UKCC for administering POMs without authorisation of a protocol.
In my opinion nursing practice has developed a great deal since the 1968
Medicines Act and nurse prescribing is an important factor that needs to be
addressed.
Jeannett Martin
Date sent: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 20:53:01 +0100
Subject: Rights or Responsibilities
From: Katie Law <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
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> An article in todays GP magazine entitled " Radical change for nurse
> prescribing" refers to
>
> "...nurses denied access to essential rights such as the ability to
> prescribe ...".
>
> Prescribing should be seen as a responsibility, not a right.
>
> I would be unhappy about anybody who lays claim to prescribing in this
> fashion. Prescribers are accountable and should be in awe of their
> role, lest it becomes a dangerous power over others.
> --
> Katie
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