Experiences of Spanish nurses in the rollout of nurse prescribing: a qualitative study

Abstract

IntroductionNurse prescribing has legal recognition in Spain, after a long regulatory process, with confusing, changing legislation that does not fully coincide with the reality of nurses' practice. There is currently no research available on how nurses have experienced the rollout of nurse prescribing. The objective of this study is to describe the experiences of nurses in the rollout of nurse prescribing in the province of Barcelona, Spain.MethodA descriptive qualitative study with intentional sampling was carried out between March 2021 and July 2022. The data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews and discussion groups. The participants were 24 nurses working in the province of Barcelona who were accredited in nurse prescribing or involved in the rollout of nurse prescribing. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis, following Braun and Clark. The COREQ checklist was used to report findings.ResultsWe describe nurses' responses on the following themes: internal and external barriers; strategies to support nurse prescribing in the initial rollout and proposals for improvement; and factors linked to nurses' satisfaction.DiscussionThe regulatory process has provided a safety framework for nurse prescribing. Strategies are needed for its comprehensive development and its acceptance among the public. The findings give visibility to nurse prescribing internationally.

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

“…Nurse prescriptions for medication and health products have increased around the world, but the heterogeneity of legal and organizational frameworks in different countries makes the analysis of this practice complex [ 4 ].…”

“…A study by Ruiz et al has shown that NP practice is associated with higher quality care for people requiring medical services, more efficient use of time and resources, and better collaboration among healthcare professionals [ 3 ]. NP is described as a process that increases nurses’ decision-making and leadership capabilities, promoting greater empowerment in the workplace, with expanded recognition of their roles and competencies, becoming references for patients and colleagues [ 4 ].…”

Mental Health Nurses’ Perceptions of Providing Pharmaceutical Care in Saudi Arabia

“…Uniform mandated regulations of permitted prescribing by health care providers, coupled with specialized formularies for various practitioners, including nurses, may improve interprofessional communication, cooperation, and organized distribution of responsibilities and accountability in delivery of PC in psychiatric mental health settings (Canet-Vélez et al, 2023; Courtenay, 2010; Skingsley et al, 2006; While & Biggs, 2004).…”

“…This has been evidenced by reduced readmission rates among patients who are cared for nurses with expanded roles in PC in Europe (Graham-Clarke et al, 2019). Structured expansion of the PC role may assist in reducing caring responsibilities for other members of the interprofessional team (McCurdy et al, 2020; Nuttall, 2018) while providing a safety framework for the prescribing nurse (Canet-Vélez et al, 2023).…”

Attitudes of the public and medical professionals toward nurse prescribing: A text-mining study based on social medias

“…Experiences of Spanish nurses in the rollout of nurse prescribing were explored [ [8] , [9] , [10] ], which can provide references for us. Nursing organizations certify and monitor nurse prescribing within the policy framework.…”