TY - JOUR
T1 - Attitudes regarding mental health nurse prescribing among psychiatrists and nurses
T2 - A cross-sectional questionnaire study
AU - Patel, MX
AU - Robson, D
AU - Rance, J
AU - Ramirez, NM
AU - Memon, TC
AU - Bressington, D
AU - Gray, R
N1 - M1 - 11
PY - 2009/11
Y1 - 2009/11
N2 - Background: In the United Kingdom, mental health nurses (MHNs) can independently prescribe medication once they have completed a training course. This study investigated attitudes to mental health nurse prescribing held by psychiatrists and nurses.Method: 119 MHNs and 82 psychiatrists working in South-East England were randomly sampled. Participants completed a newly created questionnaire. This included individual item statements with 6-point likert scales to test levels of agreement which were summated into 7 subscales.Results: Psychiatrists had significantly less favourable, albeit generally positive attitudes than MHNs regarding general beliefs (63% vs. 70%, p <0.001), impact (62% vs. 70%, P <0.001), uses (60% vs. 71%, p <0.001), clinical responsibility (69% vs. 62%, p <0.001) and legal responsibility (71% vs. 64%, p <0.001). More MHNs than psychiatrists believed that nurse prescribing would be useful in emergency situations for rapid tranquilisation (82% vs. 37%, p <0.001), and that the consultant psychiatrist should have ultimate clinical responsibility for prescribing by an MHN (42% vs. 28%, p <0.001). Approximately half of all participants agreed nurse prescribing would create conflict in clinical teams.Conclusions: The majority of both groups were in favour of mental health nurse prescribing, although significantly more psychiatrists expressed concerns. This may be explained by a perceived change in power balance.
AB - Background: In the United Kingdom, mental health nurses (MHNs) can independently prescribe medication once they have completed a training course. This study investigated attitudes to mental health nurse prescribing held by psychiatrists and nurses.Method: 119 MHNs and 82 psychiatrists working in South-East England were randomly sampled. Participants completed a newly created questionnaire. This included individual item statements with 6-point likert scales to test levels of agreement which were summated into 7 subscales.Results: Psychiatrists had significantly less favourable, albeit generally positive attitudes than MHNs regarding general beliefs (63% vs. 70%, p <0.001), impact (62% vs. 70%, P <0.001), uses (60% vs. 71%, p <0.001), clinical responsibility (69% vs. 62%, p <0.001) and legal responsibility (71% vs. 64%, p <0.001). More MHNs than psychiatrists believed that nurse prescribing would be useful in emergency situations for rapid tranquilisation (82% vs. 37%, p <0.001), and that the consultant psychiatrist should have ultimate clinical responsibility for prescribing by an MHN (42% vs. 28%, p <0.001). Approximately half of all participants agreed nurse prescribing would create conflict in clinical teams.Conclusions: The majority of both groups were in favour of mental health nurse prescribing, although significantly more psychiatrists expressed concerns. This may be explained by a perceived change in power balance.
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2009.04.010
DO - 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2009.04.010
M3 - Article
SN - 1873-491X
VL - 46
SP - 1467
EP - 1474
JO - International Journal of Nursing Studies
JF - International Journal of Nursing Studies
IS - 11
ER -