Overview

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.

This module leads to the professional qualification of ‘Independent and Supplementary Prescribing for nurses and midwives', recordable by the Nursing and Midwifery Council as V300.

The module reflects the reform of National Health Service (DH, 2000), and Changing Working Practices highlighted in the Modernisation Agenda (DH,2003). 

The review of the Knowledge and Skills Framework (DH,2003) and the expansion of prescribing rights for nurses and midwives, have also indicated the need for expansion of traditional roles once an appropriate academic qualification and fulfilment of clinical competences have been achieved.

Module aims

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

This module will ensure that practitioners are both fit for purpose and fit for practice within a dynamic multi-professional context; in the area of prescribing. Increasingly the professional boundaries are being managed to ensure effective quality care delivery and as such it is timely to develop prescribing course which embrace multi-professional and inter-professional learning.

Entry requirements

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)

Attendance: Compulsory for all sessions

Module content

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

Teaching and assessment

The principal learning and teaching methods used in the module may include:

• Lectures, seminars and workshops: The core of each module delivery mode is a series of face to face tutor-led or group-led seminars or workshops.
• Web-based learning using the Keele Learning Environment (KLE), Blackboard. 
• Group work and peer support. All modules use focused group work and class discussions within face to face tutor time.
• Directed independent study. Most of the study hours for each module comprise independent learning by expecting participants to add depth and breadth to their knowledge of topics, to practice skills and to reflect on critical incidents and their practice.