References
An exploration of why qualified mental health nurse prescribers do not prescribe
Abstract
This article is an exploratory study of perceptions in mental health nurses who are qualified to prescribe yet choose not to do so. In-depth semi-structured face-to-face interviews, field notes and analysis of documents were used to investigate the perceptions of the non–prescribing nurse prescriber. A mapping exercise was conducted to identify potential participants. Interview data analysis was based on the principles of descriptive phenomenology and the research was theoretically framed within concepts of power, structure/agency and culture. This study has contributed to understanding the views of non-prescribing mental health nurse prescribers on why they do not use their prescribing qualification. The findings from this study suggest that there are complex, interlocking factors: power and knowledge; culture; and structure and agency, which may enable or prevent mental health nurse prescribers from independently prescribing.
Non-medical prescribing within UK health services enables suitably trained health care professionals to effectively use their skills and competencies to improve patient care in a range of settings. Nurses, pharmacists, optometrists, physiotherapists, chiropodists or podiatrists, radiographers and community practitioners can undertake further professional training to qualify as non-medical prescribers (Department of Health [DH], 2006).
Nurse prescribing is an established intervention throughout the world; it began in the UK after over 20 years of development (McDougall and Ryan, 2016). Nurse prescribing is an extension of the nurse's role; however, the uptake of this extension has been poor, with few undertaking the qualification. Of the few nurses that qualify, even fewer prescribe (Dobel-Ober et al, 2013). While there has been an overall growth in the number of nurse prescribers more recently, there remains large variance in numbers between organisations (Dobel-Ober et al, 2016).
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