Reflecting on the
journey to
Registered Nurse
Prescribing (RNP)
Erin Searle
Nursing has certainly changed
since I trained in the early
1990s
at
Wellington
Polytechnic. I recall being
clearly informed that “nurses
do not diagnose and they
certainly do not prescribe”. But
now,
with
the
right
qualifications and training,
Nurse
Practitioners
and
Registered Nurses (RN) can do
both safely. I have discovered
that
becoming
a
nurse
prescriber is not for the faint of
heart. It requires stamina,
discipline and drive, especially
if study is in addition to full-
time work. The process of
learning to study as an adult, sit
exams and securing support
and prescribing mentors has
taught me to live on the edge
of my comfort zone. Change
and growth has been the by-
product of this process.
Role
As a Clinical Nurse Specialist for
diabetes, employed by a
Primary Health Organisation
December 2017 L.O.G.I.C.
(PHO) in Wellington, my role is
autonomous. I am part of a
larger team of Diabetes Nurse
Specialists from primary and
secondary care settings that
form the Capital and Coast DHB
Diabetes Care Improvement
Package,
Diabetes
Nurse
Practice Partnership (DNPP)
initiative. The partnership was
established to increase Primary
Health
Care’s
workforce
capability to meet the needs of
an increasing population with
diabetes. As part of this model
of care, I support six General
Practices including one high
need practice in the Porirua
area. Prior to prescribing,
medications were initiated,
changed and titrated using
onerous diabetes standing
orders.
Post Graduate study journey
My evolving journey towards
prescribing started in 2010. As
a Practice Nurse employed by a
high
needs
practice,
I
completed a Post Graduate
Certificate
from
Whitireia
Polytechnic in Primary
Health Care Specialty Nursing. I
am still aligned with that
practice in my RN prescriber
role and where I currently run
nurse led diabetes clinics. It
wasn’t until 2012, once the
diabetes nurse prescribing pilot
was underway, that I heard
about nurse prescribing and
began to consider advancing
my practice. I then planned the
progression of my study
programme
with
Massey
University with prescribing in
mind.
Fortunately,
RN
prescribing legislation was
implemented
during
my
prescribing practicum in 2016. I
completed my Masters with the
new Evidenced-based Practice
paper this year.
Prescribing Practicum
I decided to go down the route
of completing the Prescribing
Practicum paper as it fitted into
my Masters programme. There
was a robust process with: a
practicum proposal; practice
log; competency sign off; case
studies; oral examination; 150
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