Nurse-directed services in genitourinary medicine.
BACKGROUND
Experienced nurses in a genitourinary medicine (GUM) department were given further training to enable them to take a medical and presenting sexual history on a patient's first visit to the department. The nurses were also trained to examine and treat male patients, having previously only examined female patients at follow-up clinics. Protocols on the examination of new patients and patient group directions were devised to permit nurses to prescribe certain antibiotics for patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The audit examined the care provided by nurses for a sample of 300 patients in a GUM department. The results showed that a variety of conditions were successfully diagnosed and treated by nurses, and that patients, nurses and medical staff were satisfied with the nurse-directed service.
Handy
Pauline
P
Department of Genitourinary Medicine, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne. phandy@ncht.northy.nhs.uk
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009731:Nursing Audit; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000193:education* / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000523:psychology; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000451:nursing; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D013222:State Medicine; D006113:United Kingdom