The challenges of optimizing effective prescribing in a walk in centre

3^rd International Conference on Nursing & Midwifery

May 23-24, 2018 | New York, USA

Alison Burton-Shepherd

Vocare Group, UK

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Nurs Care

Abstract :

In the UK many walk in Centre/Urgent Care Services and Out of Hours treatment services are nurse led with minimal General Practitioner Support. This has provided nurses with an opportunity to become more autonomous, upskilled and increasingly specialised. However, when often faced with a patient who is either; severely ill and requires emergency admission, or trying to elicit a medical history from a patient who is taking a cocktail of medicines and does not have a current list. Often with very limited access or no access to patient notes this makes the role highly challenging, but enjoyable at the same time. This presentation will explore some of the prescribing challenges facing the non�medical prescriber within an Urgent Care Environment. Five Key Statements: one of the key challenges in prescribing for walk in centre patients is that of obtaining a good medical and medication history: it is not uncommon for patients to attend a walk in centre with pre conceived ideas as to their diagnosis and what treatment they would prefer: There is often little or no access to patient noted in a walk in centre environment: all prescribing decisions should be made with the best intentions whilst ensuring that benefits outweigh harm: it is important that nurses working in a walk in centre work within their scope of practice and keep abreast of current evidence to inform their diagnosis and above all, prescribing decisions. alison.burtonshepherd@gmail.com