Nurse Prescribing Research Articles

The Role, Contribution and Impact of Independent Nurse Prescribers and Advanced Nurse Practitioners to the Children's Hospice Workforce

The care needs of babies, children and young people who use children's hospices have changed over the last decade, with children living for longer, with more complexity. Children's hospice workforces have evolved to continue to meet these needs, including a growth in the number of nurses working at specialist and advanced levels, particularly prescribing. A 15-question survey was sent to all 54 UK children's hospices, which aimed to explore the impact of independent nurse prescribing, and specialist and advanced level nursing practice in UK children's hospices. Forty-one organisations responded, representing 76% of UK children's hospices. Increased autonomy and the ability to respond to the dynamic needs of families, and enabling family choice was recognised and valued by prescribers. Challenges included the breadth of needs of children with life-limiting conditions, and the use of medicines that are either unlicenced or used off-licence. Access to clinical supervision and continuing professional development were highlighted as enablers of prescribing practice.

Implementation of Nurse Prescriptions throughout the Public Health System in Catalonia (2021-2022).

Nurses in Catalonia have always prescribed health advice, health products, and medication in line with the professional competency of the discipline. Legislation about nurse prescriptions and the implementation of nurse prescribing varies widely among different countries. This article reports data regarding nurse prescribing in Catalonia in 2021 and 2022. This retrospective longitudinal study analyzed data from all care-providing units in Catalonia's integrated public health system. The number of nurse prescriptions increased from 139,435 in 2021 to 573,822 in 2022, and the number of nurses issuing prescriptions increased from 3604 in 2021 to 5563 in 2022. The proportion of prescriptions for different products was similar in the two years analyzed. Prescriptions for medication increased by 7.5% in 2022. Nurse prescribing is a recent advance in Catalonia. Despite some difficulties in rollout, the data indicate that this practice is becoming consolidated, as in other European countries.

Nurse prescribers as key players in shared decision making in psychiatry

Nurse prescribers as key players in shared decision making in psychiatry

Task shifting in Dutch nursing practice: A repeated cross-sectional analysis of nurses' experiences.

This study aims firstly to identify shifts in the execution of medical tasks by nurses in the past decade. Secondly, it aims to explore nurses' perspectives on task shifting: how they think task shifting affects the quality of care, the attractiveness of nursing practice and their collaboration with physicians. A quantitative repeated cross-sectional study. A nationwide survey was conducted among Dutch registered nurses (RNs) working in hospitals and home care, first in 2012 and again in 2022, with sample sizes of 359 and 362, respectively. Analyses were based on descriptive statistics and logistic and linear regressions. Between 2012 and 2022, there was a significant increase in the execution of only one medical task by nurses, namely prescribing over-the-counter medication. The majority reported in both years that task shifting has positive impact on their professional autonomy and the attractiveness of nursing practice. However, most nurses also reported that task shifting increased their workload (72.7% in 2022) could lead to conflicts in care teams (20.9% in 2022 compared to 14.7% in 2012) and may cause physicians to feel threatened (32.8% in 2022 and 29.9% in 2012). There were no significant changes in nurses' perception of the impact of task shifting on quality of care, the attractiveness of nursing practice and the nurse-physician relationship. There was an increase in the execution of prescribing over-the-counter-medication by nurses between 2012 and 2022. However, both in 2012 and in 2022, as the majority of nurses reported that task shifting increased their workload, there is reason to worry about this negative consequence of task shifting, e.g. with regard to labour market issues. Further research, also among the medical profession, is needed to better understand and address the implications of task shifting for the nursing profession. Implications for the nursing profession include potential scope expansion with complex tasks, attracting more individuals to nursing careers, although an eye must also be kept on what that means for the workload of nurses and the relationship with physicians. Nurse prescribing medicines was more executed in 2022 compared to 2012. Nurses had a predominantly positive perspective on task shifting, but still felt it can cause conflicts in care teams, high workload and physicians feeling threatened. These results can help during implementation of task shifting and in monitoring the perceived effects of task shifting among nurses. This study followed the STROBE reporting guideline for cross-sectional studies. No Patient or Public Contribution. This study focussed on the task shifting (perspectives) of nurses.

Effectiveness and Health Outcomes of Collaborative Nurse Prescribing for Patients Anticoagulated with Antivitamin K in Primary Care: A Study Protocol

The development of collaborative nurse prescribing (NP) in Andalusia (Spain) in 2018 gives us the opportunity to measure the impact of this practice. Scientific evidence indicates that prescribing is not more costly when performed by nurses and, in fact, is more economical in some cases. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of NP on the effectiveness, health outcomes and adverse events related to prescribing including in the follow-up of patients treated with antivitamin K oral anticoagulants in primary care (PC) by nurses. The design is a randomized clinical trial. The population comprises 1208 anticoagulated patients in 2019. The sample size calculation considers an alpha error of 0.05, a power of 99% and an effect size of 0.5, resulting in 127 users per group. Therefore, a total sample of 254 participants is needed. However, as the project intends to treat patients it will include the universal sample that meets the criteria in the two health centers participating in the study, with 575 participants in total. Data collection was carried out in the PC District of the Alamillo-San Jerónimo Clinical Management Unit of Sevilla for one year from January 2020. Data analysis is performed using the SPSS Statistics 25 package. We intend to study if nurse collaborative prescription in the follow-up and management of patients taking antivitamin K oral anticoagulants in PC is as effective as the traditional approach to follow-ups carried out by a family physician.

Are Australian Cancer and Palliative Care Nurses Ready to Prescribe Medicines? A National Survey

Registered nurse prescribing has been put forth, for decades, as an innovative approach to meet growing healthcare needs, particularly in areas of care where medications are essential and highly controlled such as for patients requiring cancer and palliative care. However, the adoption of innovative health delivery models requires acceptance by key stakeholders. This study explores cancer and palliative care nurses' attitudes toward nurse prescribing and their perceptions about educational requirements for a nurse prescriber. A cross-sectional survey was distributed to Australian nurses between March and July 2021. Data were collected using the Advancing Implementation of Nurse Prescribing in Australia online survey. Pearson χ2 tests were used to examine associations between nurses in cancer care, palliative care, and all other specialties on demographics, attitudes to nurse prescribing, and educational perspectives to become prescribers. Of the 4,424 nurses who participated in the survey, 161 nurses identified they worked in cancer care and 109 in palliative care settings. Although nurses have a common set of core capabilities, their work contexts and their professional experiences shape their attitudes toward practice. Nurses in cancer care were significantly less certain than nurses in palliative care [χ2(2) = 6.68, P = .04], and nurses from all other specialties [χ2(2) =13.87, P = <.01] of the benefits of nurse prescribing (ie, nurse prescribing would decrease health care system costs, reduce patient risk). Nurses in cancer care were more certain that successfully implementing nurse prescribing requires strong support from their medical and pharmacy colleagues. In addition, nurses working in cancer and palliative care agreed that improving patient care was their primary motivator for becoming a prescriber. Open to expanding their role and responsibilities, nurses in cancer and palliative care settings reported that successfully adopting nurse prescribing must be supported by their other healthcare colleagues within the same environment, which demands strong interprofessional collaborative efforts.

Nurse prescribing and dispensing in South Africa: Gaps in the current legislative framework.

Nurse prescribing and dispensing are central to ensuring universal health access in South Africa. To describe the historical development of the legal enablements of nurse prescribing and dispensing in South Africa and highlight gaps in the current legislative framework. This is a discussion article. We emphasise significant deficiencies in the current legislative landscape that pose challenges to these vital nursing practices and call for urgent revisions of the legislative framework, particularly the revision of Section 56 of the Nursing Act (33 of 2005) and its related regulations, to formalise authorisation of specialist nurse prescribers in public and private practice. This will also entail an application to the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAPHRA) for the scheduling of substances by authorised nurse prescribers in the defined professional nurse and specialist nurse categories by the Minister of Health. There is a necessity for prompt legislative revisions to address identified deficiencies. The contribution of this article lies in its advocacy for changes to the regulatory framework to further enable nurses to deliver safe and comprehensive health care.

Non-medical prescribing in nursing: the history and evolution of independent and supplementary prescribing.

Non-medical prescribing has been shown to be beneficial to both service users and practitioners spanning all care sectors. Nurse prescribing has developed significantly in its short existence, and is set to continue to push the boundaries of practice as the role and education of nurses changes and adapts to current population healthcare needs. This article details the origins and evolution of non-medical prescribing, the variety of annotations found on the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register involved and how these affect nursing practice, as well as the expansion of roles. It also discusses supervision and assessment requirements in line with the NMC standards for prescribing programmes, and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society competence framework.

Readmissions after appointments with nurse prescribers: A register-based study.

Increasing number of nurse prescribers could be part of a solution to the shortage of physicians, improve access to treatment and curb the rise in healthcare costs; however, readmissions after nurse prescribers' appointments are under-researched. To describe and compare clients' initial appointments with nurse prescribers and physicians. In addition, client readmissions within 60 days in the target organisation after nurse prescribers' and physicians' appointments were investigated. Retrospective register-based follow-up study. Data included client appointments (n = 3986) with nurse prescribers and physicians, and clients' readmissions (n = 9038) from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2019 from one hospital district in Finland. Data were analysed statistically using frequencies, percentages, rate ratios and cross-tabulation. STROBE checklist was used. Initial appointments including trimethoprim, pivmecillinam, phenoxymethyl penicillin, chloramphenicol, fusidic acid and cephalexin prescriptions with nurse prescribers (n = 36) were 2131, and physicians (n = 140) 1855. On average, client readmissions (within 60 days) per initial appointment were 2.10 after appointments with nurse prescribers and 2.46 after physicians. After initial appointments, including phenoxymethyl penicillin prescriptions, with nurse prescribers, clients had more readmissions in all age groups than after initial appointments with physicians. However, in all, after initial appointments with physicians, clients had a higher proportion of readmissions. Clients have fewer readmissions after appointments with nurse prescribers than physicians, including the same prescriptions. Nurse prescribers' skills may not have been fully utilised. Physicians treated many patients whose diseases nurse prescribers might have been able to treat based on the nurse prescribers' rights. However, physician clients may have more demanding service requirements.

Identifying the Enablers and Barriers to Advance Nurse Prescribing of Medication in Spain According to Experts’ Views: A Delphi Study

Nurses play an important role in pharmaceutical care worldwide in detecting clinical changes, communicating and discussing pharmacotherapy with patients, their families, and other healthcare professionals, proposing and implementing drug-related interventions, and ensuring the monitoring of patients and their medication regimens, among others. However, there is no global consensus across countries regarding the prescribing of medication by nurses. In Spain, for example, this topic is currently in transition since the approval of the Royal Decree 1302/2018 of October 22nd, which regulates the indication, use, and authorization for dispensing human-use medication by nurses. Our study aims to identify the enablers and barriers to advancing the nurse prescribing of medication in Spain through the views of experts in the field and according to the latest Royal Decree approved and the steps taken by the different Spanish autonomous communities. A modified qualitative Delphi study with three iterations was performed online through the perspectives of experts from the field of healthcare education, research, practice, management, and policy. Data extracted from the literature review were used to formulate the open-ended questions utilized in the three rounds. The experts involved (n = 15) belonged to different Spanish regions where the Royal Decree is being implemented with different speeds, and had distinct backgrounds and experiences. Our results highlight the importance of prospectively developing additional protocols based on chronic diseases as well as scaling up towards independent nursing prescription, the inclusion of a joint multidisciplinary pharmaceutical care model, the controversial role played by national nursing councils and boards, the variability in the speed of implementation among the autonomous communities, and the lack of nursing training in the field of medication prescription.

Opinion on the benefits of nurse prescribing in Catalonia. Consensus of health professionals and managers

ObjectiveTo study the level of agreement among health professionals and managers in Catalonia on the benefits of nurse prescribing (NP). MethodAn online Real Time Delphi was conducted to collect the level of agreement of health professionals and managers. Participants voted in a 6-point scale (1 low benefit and 6 high benefit) for 12 items describing benefits of NP. A total of 1332 professionals participated. The level of consensus was calculated applying interquartile ranges of scores and standardized mean differences among subgroups using effect sizes (ES) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals. ResultsThe scores indicate a general agreement on the perceived benefits of NP among participants. Standardized differences among scores on the perceived benefits among professionals were small to high (ES range between 0.2 and 1.2) between nurses and medical doctors and high between nurses and pharmacists (ES range: 1.2 and 2.4). Differences between scores of nurses and those of managers or other professionals in the present study were smaller for most voted benefits. ConclusionsThe study shows an agreement on the benefits of NP. Nevertheless, when standardized scores are taken into consideration, differences among professionals’ perceptions emerged, and aligned with documented barriers identified in the literature such as corporative aspects, cultural limitations, institutional and organisational inertia, beliefs and unawareness of what NP implies.

Nurse prescriber's understanding of their antimicrobial stewardship role: a qualitative study.

Introduction Antimicrobial resistance is an infectious disease threat to public health globally, and antimicrobial stewardship among healthcare professionals is one key way to address this potential problem. Registered nurse designated prescribers are the newest group of health professionals to gain prescribing authority in Aotearoa New Zealand, yet little is known about their understanding of their antimicrobial stewardship role. Aim The aim of this study was to explore registered nurse designated prescribers' understanding of their antimicrobial stewardship role through their prescribing practices and approaches to clinical reasoning. Methods This exploratory descriptive qualitative study used individual semi-structured interviews with six registered nurse designated prescribers. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the interviews. Results Four themes were identified: antibiotic prescribing practices and antimicrobial resistance; clinical indicators for prescribing antibiotics, with the sub-themes of history taking, presence of infection and bacterial versus viral infection; patient education; and safety and monitoring. These themes provide insight into registered nurse designated prescribers' understanding of their antimicrobial stewardship role and prescribing of antibiotics. Discussion This research found that the registered nurse designated prescribers had an awareness of the importance of their antimicrobial stewardship role in relation to antibiotic prescribing and reducing antimicrobial resistance. Education about antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial stewardship for this professional group can be effective, but further research is needed to understand their ongoing educational needs.

Translation, Cross-Cultural Adaptation, and Validation of the Galician Version of the Nurse Prescribing Self-Efficacy Scale.

Low self-efficacy has been identified as one of the factors that could hinder the prescribing competence of nurses. No valid and reliable existing instruments assess Galician nurses' confidence to prescribe. The aim of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of the Galician version of the Nurse Prescribing Self-Efficacy Scale (G-NP-SES, 19 items). The study was conducted in two phases: the translation and adaptation to the Galician version of the NP-SES, and the assessment of its psychometric properties. G-NP-SES was sent to nurses working in primary healthcare centers in Galicia (Spain) between March and June of 2022. Its content, construct and discriminant validity, and internal consistency reliability were examined. A total of 193 people participated in the study. As the original scale, G-NP-SES also had three dimensions (% of cumulative variance = 80.82%). It showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient (α) = 0.90, with each factor ranging from 0.86 to 0.89), high content validity (scale's content validity index = 0.92, with item-content validity index ranged from 0.87 to 1), and good discriminant validity. G-NP-SES is an instrument with good psychometric properties which could be used to accurately assess Galician nurses' self-efficacy to prescribe and consequently to improve their job performance.

Introducing polynucleotides

Nurse prescriber Anna Kremerov details the science behind this revolutionary branch of regenerative medicine

Nurse prescribing in Poland: legislative history, trends over time and physicians’ attitudes

A 2016 a legislative amendment authorized nurses and midwives in Poland to independently prescribe medical drugs and issue prescriptions for the purposes of continuation of treatment previously ordered by a physician. The legislative process was far from perfect, with nurses and midwives voicing their doubts just as well as doctors. Material and methods: Content analysis of documents from the legislative process was conducted, as well as a questionnaire survey among physicians concerning the exercise of these new right in places where doctors work and doctors’ attitudes on the matter. The survey was done in 2017 and 2019, with 547 and 471 physicians participating, respectively. Statistical analysis employed Pearson’s chi-squared test with grouped variables. Results: The main stated reason behind the legalization of nurse and midwife prescribing was the desire to reduce the queues of people waiting for health-care services. Between 2017 and 2019 an insignificant increase in the exercise of these rights occurred, especially in respect of supplementary prescription, i.e. for the purposes of continuation of treatment. The percentage of physicians with a positive attitude to these rights was found to have increased in these years. No variables explicitly linked to a positive attitude were identified. Conclusions: the full, successful and safe use of this opportunity requires continued research into the subject and its conditions, both quantitative and qualitative, as well as appropriate management of the change process on the basis of such data.

Smoking cessation support and treatment services

Journal of Prescribing PracticeVol. 4, No. 11 News AnalysisSmoking cessation support and treatment servicesAysha MendesAysha MendesE-mail Address: [email protected]Freelance Journalist, specialising in healthcare and psychologySearch for more papers by this authorAysha MendesPublished Online:7 Nov 2022https://doi.org/10.12968/jprp.2022.4.11.476AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail View article References British Medical Journal. Best practice: smoking cessation. 2018. https://bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/411 2018 (accessed 28 October 2022) Google ScholarBritish Thoracic Society. BTS Audit of hospital-based Tobacco Dependency Treatment Services finds modest improvement since 2019. 2022. https://www.brit-thoracic.org.uk/news/2022/bts-audit-of-hospital-based-tobacco-dependency-treatment-services-finds-modest-improvement-since-2019/ (accessed 28 October 2022) Google ScholarJoint Formulary Committee. Nurse prescribers formulary, Nicotine replacement therapy. 2022. https://bnf.nice.org.uk/nurse-prescribers-formulary/nicotine-replacement-therapy/ Google ScholarNational Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Smoking cessation scenario: assessment for smoking cessation. 2022. https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/smoking-cessation/management/assessment/#assessment (accessed 28 October 2022) Google ScholarNHS. The Long Term Plan. 2019. https://www.longtermplan.nhs.uk/ (accessed 28 October 2022) Google ScholarSteel N, Ford JA, Newton JN et al.. Changes in health in the countries of the UK and 150 English local authority areas 1990-2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease study 2016. Lancet. 2018;392(10158):1647-1661. https://doi.org/10.1016.S0140-6736(18)32207-4 Google ScholarWorld Heart Federation. World Heart Day. 2022. https://world-heart-federation.org/world-heart-day/about-whd/world-heart-day-2022/ (accessed 28 October 2022) Google Scholar FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails 2 November 2022Volume 4Issue 11ISSN (print): 2631-8385ISSN (online): 2631-8393 Metrics History Published online 7 November 2022 Published in print 2 November 2022 Information© MA Healthcare LimitedPDF download

What workforce preparation is required for successful implementation of nurse prescribing under supervision?

<h2>ABSTRACT</h2><h3>Background</h3> Nurse prescribing is proposed globally in a variety of models in an attempt to meet health needs of the growing population. Providing appropriate preparation, knowledge, and supported skill development commensurate with this expanded scope has been identified as a key component to the successful adoption of this practice change. <h3>Aim</h3> To explore nurses' preferences for the educational preparation and support required to maximise uptake of expanding nursing practice to include prescribing according to a supervised model. <h3>Methods</h3> A cross-sectional online survey, tested for face and content validity, was distributed to registered general nurses across Australia excluding nurse practitioners, enrolled nurses, and student nurses between March and July 2021. Quantitative data relating to demographics, nursing experience, and educational requirements to become a prescriber were analysed descriptively. Pearson χ² tests were used to examine associations between participant demographics and preferences for education. Binary logistic regression was used to further examine whether demographic factors were significant predictors of educational preferences. Open-ended responses were analysed using content analysis techniques. <h3>Findings</h3> There were 4,424 surveys completed by nurses from all jurisdictions. More than half of (n=2,907,65.7%) respondents considered that education should be delivered by health services in conjunction with universities using a blended approach with workplace integrated practice. Respondent's desire authorised prescriber support and a multidisciplinary approach for successful adoption. The most frequently reported (n=3,523, 79.6%) factor influencing the desire to undertake a specific program was course accreditation at a national level and contribution to a formal qualification. χ² tests showed significant associations between participants characteristics and educational preparation factors; however, logistic regression showed a similar trend for all educational preparation items with no significant effect of age group, qualification, years of experience or state groups. <h3>Discussion</h3> Implementation of an expanded scope of practice to include prescribing under the supervision of an authorised prescriber requires a nursing workforce prepared to undertake further education and authorised prescriber's support. Nurses seek a rigorous national educational program delivered in collaboration with colleagues. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Health services planning to expand nursing practice to include prescribing should consider issues raised in this study. The findings highlight areas for future research and actions to optimise uptake of this new nursing role.

Nurses, physicians and patients’ knowledge and attitudes about nurse prescribing

BackgroundOne of the roles that nurses have acquired in recent years is the role of prescribing. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge and attitudes of critical care nurses, physicians and patients about nurse prescribing.MethodsA descriptive cross-sectional study with the participation of 152 nurses, 53 physicians and 75 patients was carried out. Participants were selected by stratified random sampling from the critical care units of six hospitals in Tabriz, Iran. Demographics and participants’ knowledge and attitudes about nurse prescribing questionnaires were used to collect data. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS-22 software.ResultsThe mean scores of total knowledge about nurse prescribing in nurses, patients and physicians’ were 15.41 ± 1.85,16.45 ± 2.31, 14.74 ± 1.7 respectively (from a range of 10 -20), and the mean score of knowledge by physicians was significantly higher than others (P = 0.000) and they had more knowledge about nurse prescribing. The mean scores of the attitudes towards nurse prescribing in nurses, physicians and patients were 40.62 ± 3.68, 37.98 ± 5.92 and 39.38 ± 4.39 respectively (from a range of 10 -50). However, the total mean score of attitudes among nurses was significantly higher than others (P = 0.000) and nurses had more positive attitudes toward prescribing.ConclusionThe results showed that the participants have a good understanding and attitudes toward nurse prescribing. Nurse prescribing as a new duty and authority can be considered in providing more effective care by specialist nurses. The results of this study can also be used in the future planning of health policy for nurses to have the right to prescribe and ultimately improve the quality of patient care.

Outcomes from a digital cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation programme delivered in Ireland during COVID 19

Funding AcknowledgementsType of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Government of Ireland's Sláintecare Integration Fund Health Research Board, IrelandBackground & AimCOVID 19 has accelerated the uptake and acceptance of digital health tools for the prevention and management of Cardiovascular Disease. With health systems being urged to learn from the pandemic and to reassess how they will deliver services in future, robust audit and evaluation of digital interventions are required to inform best practice.This study aims to evaluate the clinical outcomes of a digital CVD prevention and rehabilitation programme which was established during COVID 19 to provide cardiac patients with efficient and timely access to a home-based, structured, comprehensive programme of care.MethodsDeveloped and delivered by an interdisciplinary team (Nurse Prescriber, Physiotherapist, Dietitian, Cardiologist), the core components of this 12 week programme included, behavioural change support, lifestyle modification, medical risk factor management and electronic prescribing of cardio-protective medication. To support self-management, patients were provided with a Fitbit, blood pressure monitor and a workbook to support goal setting and overall tracking of progress. Patients were given access to a bespoke web-based platform and invited to attend weekly (2hr) group-based sessions, which included an exercise component and an interactive educational workshop.ResultsOver a 4 month period, 105 patients were referred with an uptake rate of 73% (n=77). Of these, 97% (n=75) enrolled in the programme, with an 85% (n=64) completion rate. Significant improvements in CVD risk factors were observed between initial and end of programme assessment. The proportion of patients meeting guideline-recommended physical activity targets increased from 14 to 82% (p<0.001), mean BMI (kg/m2) reduced from 28.7 to 27.7 (p<0.001), mean Mediterranean diet score improved from 5.2 to 7.3 (p<0.001), and anxiety and depression levels ≥8 (Hospital Anxiety and Depression score) both reduced by more than 50% (p<0.001). The proportions achieving the recommended blood pressure (<130/80 mmHg) and LDL cholesterol targets (<1.4 mmol/L) increased from 24 to 68% (p<0.001) and 14 to 41% (p<0.001), respectively.ConclusionOutcomes from this programme demonstrate that digital CVD prevention and rehabilitation programmes can achieve the recommended lifestyle, medical and therapeutic targets associated with reduced CVD events and improved health outcomes. This programme represents a scalable, accessible and effective option to deliver vital CVD preventive care in the patient’s home.

Iranian Nurses' Attitudes and Readiness for Nurse Prescribing: A Cross Sectional Study

Introduction: Since prescribing is a new subject in the nursing profession, it is necessary to assess nurses' attitudes to and readiness for this new responsibility. Objective: This study aimed to investigate nurses' attitudes to and readiness for nurse prescribing in teaching hospitals of Tabriz City, Iran. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted on 335 nurses working in the hospitals of Tabriz from June to October 2019. The participants were selected with a stratified random sampling method, and study data were collected using a two-part questionnaire: demographics and the nurse prescribing questionnaire.The demographics were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The Spearman rank correlation coefficient and the Mann-Whitney U tests were employed to examine the correlation and to compare the mean scores, respectively. The significance level for all tests was determined to be less than 0.05. Results: About 82.1% of participants were female, 59.7% were working in general wards, and 42.1% were in critical care units. The results showed that the mean ±SD scores of attitude and readiness were 34.79 ±8.15 and 36.99 ±6.01, respectively. Moreover, 71.6% of nurses agreed with nurse prescribing. The results showed that the score of attitudes towards prescribing the drug was significant in terms of gender (P = 0.039), employment status (P = 0.032), work experience (P =0.041), and academic degree (P = 0.028). Also, results showed readiness to implement was significant in terms of gender (P = 0.028), employment status (P = 0.049), work experience (P = 0.037), and academic degree (P = 0.042). Finally, there was a positive and significant correlation between nurses' attitudes toward and readiness for prescribing (P = 0.042, rs=0.626). Conclusion: Because nurses have a positive attitude toward and are ready for prescribing, it is possible to make them more prepared for this new role by increasing their pharmacological knowledge and improving their accountability.