An evaluation of nurse prescribing. Part 2: a literature review

This is the second of a 2-part literature review, which aims to provide a summary of the research conducted into nurse prescribing and patients' perspectives, the prescribing practice and benefits of prescribing.

Prescriptive authority for nurses was first introduced by America in 1969, followed later by the UK, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Sweden. A review of research conducted internationally was performed to inform the development of prescribing policies and practice and to guide future research.

A number of electronic databases were searched in March 2009 and 155 results were retrieved. Forty-four studies satisfied the criteria for inclusion. Twenty-two of those studies are included in this part of the review.

Sixteen studies reviewed were UK based, four from the USA and just two from Australia. Twenty-one of the studies focused solely on primary/secondary care, with just one on the hospital setting alone. Twelve studies incorporated nurse prescribers' views, while nine elicited patients' views and one explored the views of the general public and nurse prescribing. Findings of studies relating to patients' perspectives on prescribing were generally positive but methodologies in these studies were very diverse. Varied and context-specific evidence of the practices of nurse prescribers was presented in studies investigating this aspect of nurse prescribing.

This review has demonstrated the diversity of research conducted in the area of patients' perspectives on nurse prescribing, prescribing practices and benefits of nurse prescribing. It has identified areas that require further investigation which, in turn, will inform the future development of nurse and midwife prescribing.