An Exploration of Community Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Specialists Experiences of Working as Independent Prescribers: Part 2

The Department of Health has recently reiterated its commitment to the improvement in the quality of end of life care and emphasized the importance of all patients having rapid access to medication. The aim of this study was to explore the lived experiences of clinical nurse specialists who are able to prescribe independently in their role in providing support for patients with palliative care needs within the community setting. Interpretive phenomenology was employed in order to understand and interpret the experiences of six nurse independent prescribes employed as community palliative care clinical nurse specialists. This purposive sampling was preferred with semi-structured interviews as the most appropriate data collection technique. Participants interviewed reported that being able to prescribe enabled them to provide seamless, holistic care which facilitated faster access to medicines for their patients. This was particularly apparent at weekends when the patient's usual general practitioner (GP) was unavailable. Several benefits of nurse independent prescribing were also highlighted. However, the main barrier identified by most participants was the difficulty in accessing the patient's records. The overwhelming conclusion was that independent prescribing by community nurse specialists is beneficial for patients in the palliative care phase of their life and those deemed important to them as they are being cared for at home. Such benefits can also impact on other aspects of the patient's life including prompt availability of medicines, effective symptom control and consequently, an improved or enhanced quality of life for the patients and job satisfaction for the prescribing specialists nurses.