The Implementation Process of Nurse Prescribing in Poland-A Descriptive Study

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Policy
• Nursing Practice
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Nurse prescribing legislation was introduced in Poland in 2016.
• Understanding nurse prescribing behaviors is crucial for evaluating legislative impact.
• This study addresses a knowledge gap in early nurse prescribing practices in Poland.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the early implementation of nurse prescribing in Poland.
• To analyze nurses' opinions and compare them with actual prescribing behaviors.
• To provide baseline data for future research on nurse prescribing.

Main Methods:

• Collected nurses' opinions during their preparation for prescribing.
• Compared opinion data with actual prescribing practices over the first two years of legislation.
• Analyzed the character and extent of nurse prescribing behaviors.

Main Results:

• The number of nurse prescriptions substantially increased post-legislation.
• Nurse independent prescriptions more than doubled between the first and second years.
• Nurse supplementary prescriptions increased nearly six-fold in the same period.

Conclusions:

• The implementation of nurse prescribing has successfully expanded the scope of nursing care.
• Nurse prescribing is particularly impactful in managing infections, pain, and chronic conditions in the elderly.
• The findings provide valuable insights into the early impact of nurse prescribing legislation.