Establishing an educational programme for nurses to supply emergency hormonal contraception (combined method) to protocol.
This paper gives an account of an innovative educational programme developed by the Department of Midwifery Studies at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) in 1995. The North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) approached the Department of Midwifery Studies to develop an educational programme for family planning nurses to supply the combined method of emergency hormonal contraception (EHC) under protocol when a doctor was not present. The purpose was to increase the availability and accessibility of EHC for young people in the North West region. The 3-day programme was designed to complement previous ENB 901/900 training, and also to provide the nurses with the specific skills and knowledge required to undertake this new role. One hundred and thirty-nine nurses from the North West area attended the programme between 1995-1998. Students were assessed both theoretically and clinically. Extending the role of family planning nurses to supply EHC gives purchasers and providers of sexual health care the potential to offer a wider range of accessible services. The recently published interim Crown Report1 on the supply and administration of medicines under group protocols states that protocols should specify clear arrangements for professional responsibility and accountability. Appropriate training is essential to ensure that the extended role of the nurse in family planning is fully understood.
Brittain
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Department of Midwifery Studies, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, Lancashire, UK.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D003281:Contraceptives, Postcoital / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D004506:Education, Nursing; D004521:Educational Measurement; D004739:England; D005193:Family Planning Services / Q000193:education*; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008880:Midwifery / Q000193:education; D010560:Personnel Selection; D012941:Social Responsibility
D003281:Contraceptives, Postcoital