Registered nurse prescribing: A descriptive survey of prescribing practices in a single district health board in Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract
The expansion of prescribing rights in Aotearoa New Zealand has enabled registered nurse prescribers (RN prescribers) working in primary care and specialty teams, to enhance nursing care, by prescribing medicines to their patient population. This widening of prescribing rights was to improve the population’s access to medicines and health care; however, little is known about the medications prescribed by RN prescribers. This paper reports on a descriptive survey of self-reported RN prescribers prescribing in a single district health board. The survey tool used was a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to record nurse’s area of practice, patient demographic details, health conditions seen, and medicines prescribed and deprescribed. Simple data descriptions and tabulations were used to report the data. Eleven RN prescribers consented to take part in the survey and these nurses worked in speciality areas of cardiology, respiratory, diabetes, and primary care. Findings from the survey demonstrated that RN prescribers prescribe medicines within their area of practice and within the limits of the list of medicines for RN prescribers. Those working in primary care saw a wider range of health conditions and therefore prescribed a broader range of medications. This survey revealed that the list of medications available for RN prescribers needs to be updated regularly to align with the release of evidence-based medications on the New Zealand Pharmaceutical Schedule. It is also a useful record for both educational and clinical settings of the types of medications prescribed by RN prescribers.

Ngā ariā matua
Nā te whakawhānuitanga ake o ngā mana tuhi puka rongoā i Aotearoa, i āhei ai ētahi kaituhi puka rongoā tapuhi rēhita (ngā kaituhi rongoā RN) e mahi nei i te hauora taketake me ngā tira mātanga, kia whakapiki i te manaakitanga tapuhi, mā te tuhi puka rongoā mō ō rātou taupori tūroro. Hei whakapiki tēnei whakawhānui tika tuhi puka rongoā i te wātea o ngā rongoā me ngā manaakitanga hauora ki te taupori, heoi anō, he iti noa ngā mōhiotanga mō ngā rongoā e tuhia nei he puka e ngā kaituhi RN. Tā tēnei pepa he whakapūrongo i tētahi tirohanga whakaahua o ngā kaituhi puka RN e tuhi puka rongoā ana i tētahi poari hauora ā rohe takitahi. Ko te taputapu i whakamahia he ripakaute Microsoft Excel, hei tuhinga i ngā taipitopito i te rohe mahi o te tapuhi, ngā taipitopito taupori o te tūroro, ngā māuiui hauora i kitea, ngā puka rongoā i tuhia, i mukua rānei te tuhi. I whakamahia he whakamārama raraunga, he tatauranga māmā hoki hei whakaatu i te raraunga. Tekau mā tahi ngā kaituhi puka rongoā RN i whai wahi ki te rangahau, ā, i mahi ēnei tapuhi i ngā wāhanga mātanga o te taurima māuiui manawa, pūkahukahu, mate huka, me te tiakitanga tuatahi. Nā ngā kitenga o te rangahau i whakaū, tuhi ai ngā kaituhi puka rongoā RN i ngā rongoā

Keywords / Ngā kupu matua
ambulatory settings / ngā horopaki hīkoi ki wāhi kē; nurse prescribing / te tuhi puka rongoā tapuhi; primary health nurse / te tiakitanga hauora tuatahi; nurse specialist/ mātanga tapuhi