Key Facts

Module Title: Independent and Supplementary Nurse/Midwife Prescribing
Mode of Study:Semester
Contact Details:Contact School of Nursing and Midwifery - 01782 679600
Contact email:nursing@keele.ac.uk
Faculty: Faculty of Health
Fees :
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This module will equip nurses and midwives to prescribe safely, appropriately and cost effectively as independent and supplementary prescribers. This will enhance their roles within clinical practice and enable them to contribute to effective patient outcomes.
This module has been developed in response to the Department of Health's expansion of prescribing rights for nurses and midwives, to enable them to prescribe a wider range of medications for a broader range of conditions; within independent prescribing- a fuller access of a range of medications within the BNF including controlled drugs, for nurses/midwives working within their area of competency and for supplementary prescribing for medicines that form part of an agreed clinical management plan.
The NMC have produced a "Standard for the requirements for education and training for independent/supplementary nurse and midwife prescribing", and all courses are validated against these.
The course run at Keele will have the added benefit to students with links between the school of nursing and the school of pharmacy for prescribing education. The module will also be run along the prescribing module for Allied Health Professionals to facilitate interprofessional education.

This module is available as a stand alone module or an elective option within the BSc (Hons) Clinical Practice.

The education program aims to prepare nurses and midwives to prescribe safely, appropriately and cost effectively as an independent/supplementary prescriber

Course entry requirements as set out by the NMC, which state that you must be;
1. A registered first level nurse, midwife and/or specialist community public health nurse
2. You must have at least three years practising experience
3. Of these three years the year preceding entry onto the course you must have spent in the clinical field in which you intend to prescribe
4. You must have proven ability to study at level 3
5. You must have access to a designated medical practitioner as a mentor for the course
6. Some training or experience in health assessment
For more details refer to the NMC Standards for preparation and training of nurse and midwife prescribers (2006)

1. policies and procedures of independent and supplementary nurse/midwife prescribing
2. construction of clinical management plans
3. consultation, decision making, therapy and referral
4. influences on and the psychology of prescribing
5. prescribing in the team context
6. clinical pharmacology and therapeutics and the effects of co-morbidity
7. evidenced based practice and clinical governance in relation to nurse/midwife prescribing
8. legal, policy and ethical aspects of prescribing
9. professional accountability and responsibility issues in prescribing
10. prescribing in the public health context
11. drug licensing, monitoring procedures and reporting of adverse drug reactions
12. cost effective prescribing
13. record keeping

No. 01: Assessment Type: Portfolio
  Assessment Marking Scheme: Assessment rule 40%
  Brief Description: A portfolio to map the progress of the student's preparatory prescribing practice
  Contribution to the module mark: 40% Qualifying Mark: 40
  Apply For Exemption from Anonymous Assessment: Yes
  Optional Detailed Description of Assessment: The portfolio will provide evidence of the student prescriber's professional development and allow them to critically reflect on their own performance and development. It will also be a basis for their continuing professional development once they have qualified and registered as an independent/supplementary nurse/midwife prescriber
No. 02: Assessment Type: Exam
  Assessment Marking Scheme: Assessment rule Pass/Fail
  Brief Description: A MCQ paper on pharmacology and prescribing issues.
  Contribution to the module mark: 40% Qualifying Mark: 80
  Apply For Exemption from Anonymous Assessment: Yes
  Optional Detailed Description of Assessment: the MCQ paper has a pass mark of 80%, which is stipulated by the NMC in their standards for the preparation for nurse and midwife prescribers document (NMC, 2006)
No. 03: Assessment Type: Objective Structured Skills & Clinical Examination
  Assessment Marking Scheme: Assessment rule Pass/Fail
  Brief Description: OSCE exam to assess consultation skills and prescription writing
  Contribution to the module mark: 0% Qualifying Mark: 1
  Apply For Exemption from Anonymous Assessment: Yes
  Optional Detailed Description of Assessment: The students will be assessed with clinical scenarios pertinent to their own clinical area. This will allow them to be assessed on their consultation skills in the area of expertise and will allow the writing of a relevant prescription to their clinical area, which will be assessed for accuracy and legibility to ensure safe practice
 
 
No. 04: Assessment Type: Competence
  Assessment Marking Scheme: Assessment rule Pass/Fail
  Brief Description: clinical prescribing competencies
  Contribution to the module mark: 0% Qualifying Mark: 1
  Apply For Exemption from Anonymous Assessment: Yes
  Optional Detailed Description of Assessment: 90 hours (12 days) of mentored clinical preparation to fulfil competencies to qualify and register as a prescriber. The competencies fulfil the learning outcomes set by the NMC and have been developed by the National Prescribing Centre (NPC), to ensure continuity of competency nationally
 
No. 05: Assessment Type: Exam
  Assessment Marking Scheme: Assessment rule Pass/Fail
  Brief Description: A numeracy examination
  Contribution to the module mark: 20% Qualifying Mark: 100
  Apply For Exemption from Anonymous Assessment: Yes
  Optional Detailed Description of Assessment: The numeracy examination has to be passed at 100%. This is stipulated by the NMC