The first cohort of registered nurses undertaking newly accredited RN prescribing courses has started.
According to the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Journal, “RN prescribing aims to improve Australians’ access to safe, affordable healthcare and medicines”.
Read the full storyFour RN prescribing programs have been approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) and accredited by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) leading to designated prescriber endorsement.
These include:
- La Trobe University Graduate Certificate in Registered Nurse Prescribing here
- University of Melbourne Specialist Certificate in Registered Nurse Prescribing here
- University of Tasmania Graduate Diploma Nursing Advanced Practice Pathway here
- Queensland University of Technology Designated Prescribing Course here
The Registration standard: Endorsement for scheduled medicines – designated registered nurse prescriber came into effect on 30 September last year.
This allows suitably qualified registered nurses to administer, obtain, possess, prescribe, supply and/or use Schedule 2, 3, 4 and 8 medicines with an authorised health practitioner, in accordance with this standard and associated guidelines and relevant state and territory legislation, for the purposes of the practice of nursing.
When applying for the endorsement for scheduled medicines an RN must have current general registration as an RN in Australia with no conditions or undertakings relevant to this endorsement and the equivalent of three years’ full-time post-initial registration clinical experience within the past six years.
They must successfully complete NMBA-approved units of study leading to endorsement for scheduled medicines as a designated RN prescriber, or units of study that are equivalent to the NMBA-approved units.
