TY - JOUR
T1 - Nurses' perceived barriers and facilitators to the implementation of nurse prescribing
T2 - Delphi study and focus group
AU - Seck, Faty
AU - Masot, Olga
AU - Carey, Nicola
AU - Roca, Judith
AU - Botigué, Teresa
AU - Paraíso Pueyo, Elena
AU - Lavedán Santamaría, Ana
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
PY - 2023/11/1
Y1 - 2023/11/1
N2 - Aim: To obtain consensus on barriers and facilitators to nurse prescribing following its recent introduction in Spain. Design: A three round online Delphi survey and focus group. Methods: An exploratory method was used with three consecutive rounds of questionnaires based on anonymity and feedback, and a focus group. The study was carried out with primary care, specialized care, socio-health care and manager nurses. Results: On the basis of the Delphi study that was conducted, a list of 15 barriers and 18 facilitators of nurse prescribing was obtained. However, no general consensus was found with respect to the prioritization of these barriers/facilitators. The analysis of the results of the focus group confirmed the information obtained from the Delphi study. The main barriers highlighted were dependence on the figure of the physician, insufficient training in pharmacology, a lack of institutional support and the limited list of products that could be prescribed. The key facilitators were academic knowledge and ongoing training and education, independence in the functions and responsibilities of the nursing profession, adaptation to new roles and autonomy in the case of chronic care processes. Conclusion: Nurses were generally positive about the introduction of nurse prescribing. The commitment of nurses to training and their accreditation as prescribers (internal forces) and health policy and nursing management (external forces) play a fundamental role in supporting the basis of nurse prescribing and ensuring that it is developed with the identified support resources, such as staff training and the provision of the materials necessary for its proper implementation, all with the aim of guaranteeing quality healthcare. Implications for the Profession and/or Patient Care: Strong models of nurse prescribing are being considered globally to address population needs. The results can help the future implementation of non-medical independent prescribing and provide guidance to the government and society on the interventions that can be used to consolidate it. Impact: What problem did the study address? By 2027, the world's population will receive more than 4.5 trillion doses of medicine each year. However, the WHO estimates a projected shortfall of 10 million health workers by 2030. Inadequacies with traditional physician-led care systems mean that new approaches are imperative to maintain patient access to prescription medicines, with NP being a key element in this regard. In Catalonia (Spain), the accreditation process for nurses as prescribers was implemented in 2021. It is therefore of vital importance to question and consult the nurses themselves, the main promoters of the process, to find out their perceptions and thus be able to take them into consideration in the implementation process. What were the main findings? A total of 15 barriers and 17 facilitators were identified. The main perceived barriers are dependence on the figure of the physician, insufficient training in pharmacology during undergraduate studies and a lack of institutional support. The main perceived facilitators are academic knowledge and ongoing education and training, independence in nursing functions and responsibilities, and adaptation to new roles and tasks. Where and on whom will the research have an impact? These results can contribute to improving NP implementation in Spain and serve as a reference for other countries, especially where NP education and training have only recently been instigated or are in the planning process. Reporting Method: Standards for reporting qualitative research: a synthesis of recommendations. SRQR. Patient or Public Contribution: No patient or public contribution.
AB - Aim: To obtain consensus on barriers and facilitators to nurse prescribing following its recent introduction in Spain. Design: A three round online Delphi survey and focus group. Methods: An exploratory method was used with three consecutive rounds of questionnaires based on anonymity and feedback, and a focus group. The study was carried out with primary care, specialized care, socio-health care and manager nurses. Results: On the basis of the Delphi study that was conducted, a list of 15 barriers and 18 facilitators of nurse prescribing was obtained. However, no general consensus was found with respect to the prioritization of these barriers/facilitators. The analysis of the results of the focus group confirmed the information obtained from the Delphi study. The main barriers highlighted were dependence on the figure of the physician, insufficient training in pharmacology, a lack of institutional support and the limited list of products that could be prescribed. The key facilitators were academic knowledge and ongoing training and education, independence in the functions and responsibilities of the nursing profession, adaptation to new roles and autonomy in the case of chronic care processes. Conclusion: Nurses were generally positive about the introduction of nurse prescribing. The commitment of nurses to training and their accreditation as prescribers (internal forces) and health policy and nursing management (external forces) play a fundamental role in supporting the basis of nurse prescribing and ensuring that it is developed with the identified support resources, such as staff training and the provision of the materials necessary for its proper implementation, all with the aim of guaranteeing quality healthcare. Implications for the Profession and/or Patient Care: Strong models of nurse prescribing are being considered globally to address population needs. The results can help the future implementation of non-medical independent prescribing and provide guidance to the government and society on the interventions that can be used to consolidate it. Impact: What problem did the study address? By 2027, the world's population will receive more than 4.5 trillion doses of medicine each year. However, the WHO estimates a projected shortfall of 10 million health workers by 2030. Inadequacies with traditional physician-led care systems mean that new approaches are imperative to maintain patient access to prescription medicines, with NP being a key element in this regard. In Catalonia (Spain), the accreditation process for nurses as prescribers was implemented in 2021. It is therefore of vital importance to question and consult the nurses themselves, the main promoters of the process, to find out their perceptions and thus be able to take them into consideration in the implementation process. What were the main findings? A total of 15 barriers and 17 facilitators were identified. The main perceived barriers are dependence on the figure of the physician, insufficient training in pharmacology during undergraduate studies and a lack of institutional support. The main perceived facilitators are academic knowledge and ongoing education and training, independence in nursing functions and responsibilities, and adaptation to new roles and tasks. Where and on whom will the research have an impact? These results can contribute to improving NP implementation in Spain and serve as a reference for other countries, especially where NP education and training have only recently been instigated or are in the planning process. Reporting Method: Standards for reporting qualitative research: a synthesis of recommendations. SRQR. Patient or Public Contribution: No patient or public contribution.
KW - barriers
KW - drug prescribing
KW - facilitators
KW - non-medical independent prescribing, implementation
KW - nurse prescribing
KW - perceptions
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85175551746&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85175551746&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/jan.15936
DO - 10.1111/jan.15936
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85175551746
SN - 0309-2402
JO - Journal of Advanced Nursing
JF - Journal of Advanced Nursing
ER -