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University of Bedfordshire
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
UK, LU1 3JU
| Programme title: | Community Nurse Prescribing for Nurses without Specialist Qualifications |
| Apply: | direct to the University via the NHS Business Unit |
| Start (pt): | September/ February |
| Mode: | part-time |
| Duration: | 1 semester |
| Location: | Luton campus and Partner Institutions |
| Faculty: | Faculty of Health & Social Sciences |
Recent government policy directives are focused on modernisation of the NHS to ensure its capacity to deliver accessible and quality care to patients. The extension of the prescribing powers of nurses, midwives and others is one route to modernising the NHS. This will enhance the role of health care professionals and increase patient access to medicines.
The extension of prescribing is also intended to make best use of nursing, midwifery and other health care professionals’ skills whilst ensuring that patient safety remains paramount. To this end, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and Department of Health (DH) have issued a number of policies and guidelines.
Undertaking a community practitioner nurse prescribing unit is a mandatory requirement for those practitioners who wish to undertake the role associated with prescribing from the Community Practitioner Formulary (NMC 2007), leading to recognition by the NMC as possessing a license as a prescriber.
This unit aims to meet your individual learning needs and provide appropriate educational opportunities, in theory and practice, for you to develop proficiency in the practice of prescribing from the Community Practitioner Formulary as a Community Practitioner Nurse Prescriber.
The unit will provide you with practical opportunities to enable you to develop as an Community Practitioner Nurse Prescriber within your own clinical area. During this element of the learning process, you will be supported by your mentor and the unit team.
In order to ensure safe and effective prescribing, this unit will ensure that your practice is underpinned through the development of appropriate, contemporary, evidence-based theory. You will be encouraged to reflect ‘in’ and ‘on’ action in order to critically analyse your own development.
Additionally, your understanding of the underpinning knowledge base will be enhanced through peer support and shared learning. In this way you will focus on the ethical, legal, accountability and pharmacological issues relating to prescribing. This will provide you with an opportunity to explore and reflect upon the similarities, and differences, in prescribing practice among your peer group.
The outcome of these processes will enable you to become a proficient and safe prescriber within your sphere of practice.
Essential:
Brooks D, Smith A. (2006) Mon-Medical Prescribing in Healthcare Practice : A Toolkit for Students and Practitioners Palgrave-Macmillan: Hampshire
Courtenay M, Griffiths M. (2005) Independent and Supplementary Prescribing : An Essential Guide Cambridge University Press Cambridge
Johnson, G., Hill-Smith, I and Ellis, C (2005) Minor Illness Manual 3rd Edition
NMC (2006) Standards of proficiency for nurse and midwife prescribers NMC London
Otway C (2004) The Practical Guide to Extended Nurse Prescribing, Quay Books, Salisbury, Wiltshire
Rutter P (2004) Community Pharmacy : Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment. Churchill Livingstone London
Shulman,R., Montgomery,H. Ng, J., and Keady I. (Eds) (2007) Surviving Prescribing: a Practical Guide. Remedica, London
You must be a qualified first level nurse with an active registration on the Nursing and Midwifery Council register. You need to have been working within the area you intend to practice for the last 2 years.
Your employer must support your application verifying your ability to undertake a competent history, clinical assessment and diagnosis.
There must be a clinical need for the development in your role. You will need to have sufficient knowledge to apply prescribing principles taught within the unit to your particular area of practice. You must demonstrate appropriate numeracy skills to be developed within the context of prescribing.
You must provide evidence of your ability to study at minimum academic level 3 (degree)
Contact NHS Business Unit for fees.
See Unit Delivery Schedule below for dates.
For further information on the unit please contact Christine Norgate, Lecturer:
E: christine.norgate@beds.ac.uk
T: 01582 743841
How to apply:
Please contact the NHS Business Unit or download an application form from the website.
E: nhs-business-unit@beds.ac.uk
T: 01582 743048
F: 01582 743704
Apply» Courses» Healthcare short courses» Community Nurse Prescribing for Nurses without Specialist Qualifications
