Primary care providers are looking for nurses who are accredited prescribers

Nurse prescriber jobs were initially introduced by the Government as a measure to help alleviate the GP shortage, although in practice, there has been a lack of progress due to limitations on the medicines that nurses are allowed to prescribe, a lack of funding and resulting shortage of GPs to serve as clinical mentors, a shortage of nurses and a failure of trusts to fully realise the potential of prescribing nurses.

Despite these challenges, the Government remains committed to increasing the number of nurse prescriber jobs to help offset the GP and pharmacist shortage as well as to improve patient care.

What is a nurse prescriber?

​There are two kinds of nurse prescribers: independent nurse prescribers and supplementary. Independent nurse prescribers are responsible for the clinical assessment and diagnosis as well as the requisite prescribing of medicine. Health visitor and district nurse prescribers can dispense a limited and small amount of prescription whereas extended formulary nurse prescribers who are qualified to prescribe for around 80 medical conditions and 180 prescription-only medicines. These include minor ailments and injuries, palliative care and general promotion of health and well-being.

Supplementary prescribers are the result of a partnership between an independent prescriber who establishes the diagnosis and a nurse or pharmacist – a supplementary prescriber – who monitors and provides follow up and further supplies to the patient.

Nurse prescriber job duties

  • Provide patient consultation, clinical assessment and diagnosis; plan clinical care accordingly

  • Provide patient prescriptions based on status as an independent or supplementary nurse prescriber

  • Often take a lead role in a clinic or surgery, supervising other nurses and workers

  • Work with partner agencies around prescribing issues

  • Provide clinical recommendations and treatments of both drug and non-drug treatment methods

  • Prescribe and review medication for ongoing effectiveness appropriate to the patient

Nurse prescriber requirements and attributes

  • Registered nurse (RMN or RGN) qualification

  • Additional training including minor illness and injury training (V300)

  • The ability to work independently as well as part of a team

  • Critical thinking in the clinical decision-making process

  • Excellent verbal, interpersonal and written communication skills

  • Motivated and self-starting

  • Effective organisational skills and an attention to detail

  • Empathy, resilience and stamina

We are currently working on a number of nurse prescriber jobs which may not have found their way to the website. Please register with us to learn about the current opportunities we're working on.

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