OBJECTIVES Recent policy emphasizing the role of primary care has increased the workload of general practitioners (GPs) while simultaneously placing nurse practitioners (NPs) as key providers in the delivery of health care. There is need to examine the latter's work practices. The purpose of this article is to explore the role and practice of NPs in general practice. METHODS DESIGN Thirty-...

From April nurses in England will be able to prescribe from an extended list of medications. The number and type of drugs in the nurse prescribing formulary will include nine oral antibiotics. The government hopes that by increasing what is available for nurses to prescribe will help patients to get the treatment they need more quickly.

We examined US nurse practitioner (NP) and physician assistant (PA) outpatient antibiotic prescribing. Antibiotics were more frequently prescribed during visits involving NP/PA visits compared with physician-only visits, including overall visits (17% vs 12%, P < .0001) and acute respiratory infection visits (61% vs 54%, P < .001). Antibiotic stewardship interventions should target NPs and PAs.

BACKGROUND Palliative care is not a priority in developing countries. Hospice Africa Uganda (HAU), where nurses complete a course in clinical palliative care, is considered a model for other African countries. AIM To explore the role of the palliative care nurse specialist (PCNS) in Uganda. METHODS This ethnographic field study uses observations, interviews, and group interviews. PARTICIP...

INTRODUCTION Paediatric respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are common reasons for primary care consultations and antibiotic prescribing. Locally relevant syndromic and microbiological surveillance information has the potential to improve the care of children with RTIs by normalising illness (parents) and reducing uncertainty (clinicians). Currently, most RTI studies are conducted at the point ...

Antibiotic therapy has revolutionised medical care and has many benefits for patients with or at risk of infections. However, the development of antibiotic resistance now limits the effectiveness of these agents, which is a serious public health concern. This article examines these issues and offers guidance on prescribing strategies and resources for nurse prescribers.

The New Ways of Working Programme (NWW) supports the ongoing modernisation of the NHS by encouraging existing staff to evaluate their roles and responsibilities with a view to the full utilisation of skills across the workforce. Non-medical prescribing provides an example of workforce change and role development by which NWW can be critiqued. The introduction of non-medical prescribing within m...

OBJECTIVE To review trials of nurse led interventions for hypertension in primary care to clarify the evidence base, establish whether nurse prescribing is an important intervention, and identify areas requiring further study. DESIGN Systematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES Ovid Medline, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, British Nursing Index, Cinahl, Embase, Database...

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a nurse run asthma clinic on practice workload and the morbidity of patients in a four partner general practice. One hundred and fifteen asthmatic patients were studied and comparisons were made between the 12 months prior to the introduction of the clinic and the first 12 months after the clinic started. Morbidity was measured in terms of: the ...

BACKGROUND There is a need to reduce symptoms, exacerbations and improve quality of life for patients with respiratory diseases. Across the world, increasing numbers of nurses are adopting the prescribing role and can potentially enhance service provision. Evidence suggests improved quality of care and efficiencies occur when nurses adopt the prescribing role. No evidence is available on the vi...