I would be interested to know what it was OH nurses/advisers were expected to prescribe.  The need for this in our organisation would be a fat zero.  I can only see the need in industry as being allied to a treatment service and we've just had that debate. 
 
Perhaps our NHS colleagues could chip in.  Is there something to do with post exposure prophylaxis?  It's a few years since I've been in the NHS.
 
Perhaps also, is there a tendency for the Nurse Consultants to be viewed from a medical consultancy model rather than a management consultancy model?
 
Lindsey Hall
National OH Manager
Environment Agency
 
----- Original Message -----
From: [log in to unmask] href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">diane romano woodward
To: [log in to unmask] href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]
Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2004 12:53 PM
Subject: Nurse consultant=nurse prescriber

Dear All
Can I start a debate on the usefulness of Nurse prescriber status in OH..?
 
The job description for the Nurse Consultant role in the NHS OH Service in Stoke on Trent requires that the successful applicant be a nurse prescriber or be willing to undertake the training.
 
The training for this role is substantial, requiring the person to become knowledgeable about a formulary of drugs which are unlikely to be used in OH practice.The responsibility is onerous. The cost in terms of time and money means that this training is not likely to be undertaken by anyone outside the NHS
 
OH Nurses can quite legally administer a range of drugs to un-named persons under Patient Group Directives, signed by a Physician. As in an NHS OH Department  there is likely to be a physician, what added value does this qualification give to the department or the person concerned?
 
Is this possibly to allow the Nurse Consultant parity  with   Nurse Consultants  in other NHS specialities, where the ability to prescribe might be more relevant?
 
Comments please.
(Are there any nurse prescribers out there working in OH?)
Diane
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