Patient group directions: training practitioners for competency.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare policy
• Clinical practice
• Patient safety

Background:

• Since the 1990s, government initiatives have expanded prescribing rights to non-physicians.
• Key initiatives include extended nurse prescribing, supplementary prescribing, and patient group directions.
• Ensuring safe practice through professional education and assessment is crucial for these new prescribing models.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development of a training program and assessment framework.
• To support the safe implementation of patient group directions.
• To ensure competency development for practitioners using patient group directions in a cancer center.

Main Methods:

• Development of a professional education and training program.
• Incorporation of an assessment framework to evaluate competency.
• Implementation within a regional cancer center setting.

Main Results:

• A training program was successfully developed and implemented.
• An assessment framework was integrated to monitor competency.
• The initiative focused on the safe use of patient group directions.

Conclusions:

• Professional education and assessment are vital for safe prescribing by non-physicians.
• The developed training and assessment framework support competency in patient group directions.
• This approach enhances the safe integration of expanded prescribing roles in cancer care.