title: Patient group directions: training practitioners for competency.
abstract: Since the mid-1990s, three new initiatives have been introduced by the government to allow the prescribing of medicines by practitioners other than doctors: extended nurse prescribing, supplementary prescribing and patient group directions. Professional education and assessment is vital to ensure that these systems operate safely. After the implementation of patient group directions within a regional cancer centre, a training programme was developed, incorporating an assessment framework for competency development.
authors.affiliation: Christie Hospital NHS Trust, Manchester.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Flint
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Scott
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000458:organization & administration; D009720:Nurse Clinicians / Q000193:education*; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000193:education*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D017009:Professional Autonomy