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.

Students take 30 credits as follows:

GP5000 Systematic Assessment and Evaluation in Patient Care (10 credits)
NU5048 Professional, Ethical, Legal and Communication Issues Informing Nurse and Midwife Prescribing and Clinical Practicum (10 credits)
PF5011 Holistic Approach to Prescribing Medicinal Products and Clinical Practicum (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 2022/2023 Book, and for each module in the Book of Modules, 2022/2023.

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.