The Certificate in Nursing (Nurse/Midwife Prescribing) (NFQ Level 8 Special Purpose Award) is a full-time programme running over six months from the date of registration for the programme.

The programme is delivered at the Catherine McAuley School of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Cork and at designated clinical sites identified by the Health Service Executive under supervision of a named mentor. The programme complies with the standards and requirements of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland and the Health Service Executive legislation and guidelines.

On completion of the course, successful candidates will be recommended to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland for recording of their award alongside their registration in relevant division(s) of the Professional Register maintained by the Board.

Entry Requirements

• Registration as a nurse or midwife on the live register of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland
• Minimum of 3 years post-registration clinical experience (the required clinical practice experience must have been gained within the past 5 years with at least one year in the area in which prescribing is proposed and excludes time spent undertaking further post registration programmes)
• Possession of competencies recognised at Level 8 of the NQAI framework
• Demonstration of continuous professional development and ability to study at Level 8
• Support from employer and completed Site Self-Declaration Form, signed by the Director of Nursing/Midwifery/Public Health
• Nomination and confirmation of a designated medical practitioner mentor (completed Site Self-Declaration Form, signed by the Medical Practitioner/Mentor) who will provide the student with supervision, support and opportunities including shadowing opportunities.

The nurse or midwife must contact the Director of Nursing/Midwifery/Public Health to discuss the identified need for nurse and midwife prescribing in their area/organisation. In addition consideration needs to be given to developing the nurse and midwife prescribing initiative in relation to a number of issues including, legislative and professional practice requirements and standards, clinical governance structures, scope of practice, clinical competency, mentoring arrangements, multidisciplinary partnership and the individuals ability to undertake the education programme and capability to meet the requirements of the new role and the capacity to drive and develop the new initiative safely. The nurse or midwife must seek the approval of their Director of Nursing/Midwifery/Public Health to apply for the education programme. A nurse or midwife must satisfy the criteria as determined by the Higher Education Institution and the Implementation Group on Nurse/Midwife Prescribing as set out in the entry requirements.

Fitness to Practise
Commencing with the 2013/2014 intake of first year students (including repeats), this programme will be subject to the University's Fitness to Practise Policy - full details may be found here.

Students take 30 credits as follows:

GP5000 Systematic Assessment and Evaluation in Patient Care (10 credits)
NU5048 Professional, Ethical and Legal Practice, Communication Aspects of Prescribing (10 credits)
PF5011 Drug Action and Prescribing (10 credits)

Module Semester Information may be found here. Module Descriptions may be found here.

Examinations

Full details of regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2018/2019 Book, and for each module in the Book of Modules 2018/2019.

Programme Learning Outcomes for Certificate in Nursing (Nurse/Midwife Prescribing) (NFQ Level 8, Special Purpose Award)
On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate and apply a detailed knowledge of medications within a defined formulary including appropriate parameters and effects of medication for safe, appropriate and cost effective administration;
• Exercise appropriate judgment in prescribing safely and effectively within ones professional scope of practice and legislative framework;
• Demonstrate knowledge of the role of the multi-disciplinary team and effective communication involved in safe medication management including the limitations of use of nurse prescribing in relation to professional accountability;
• Demonstrate ability to exercise initiative and appropriate decision-making skills through evaluation of client needs to achieve a holistic approach to patient/client care in the prescribing of medicinal products;
• Conduct quality assurance reviews and audits of practice to ensure best practice is adhered to;
• Apply expert knowledge in clinical decision making to manage learning tasks independently, professionally and ethically and conduct research in order to advance and apply knowledge and creative skills in a range of contexts.