title: Neutral to positive views on the consequences of nurse prescribing: Results of a national survey among registered nurses, nurse specialists and physicians.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Over the last two decades, the number of countries where nurses are legally permitted to prescribe medication has grown considerably. A lack of peer support and/or objections by physicians can act as factors hampering nurse prescribing. Earlier research suggests that physicians are generally less supportive and more concerned about nurse prescribing than nurses are. However, direct comparisons between doctors' and nurses' views are scarce and are often based on small sample sizes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To gain insight into the views of Dutch registered nurses (RNs), nurse specialists (with a master's in Advanced Nursing Practice) and physicians on the consequences of nurse prescribing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Survey study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Survey questionnaires were sent to national samples of RNs, nurse specialists and physicians.
  
  
  METHODS
  The questionnaire addressed, among others, respondents' general views on the consequences of nurse prescribing for the quality of care, the nursing and medical professions, and the relationship between the medical and nursing professions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The net response rate was 66.0% for RNs (n=617), 28.3% for nurse specialists (n=375) and 33.7% for physicians (n=265). It was found that all groups agreed that nurse prescribing benefits nurses' daily practice and the nursing profession. There were few concerns about negative consequences for physicians' practice and the medical profession. Nurse specialists gave significantly (P<0.05) more positive scores on most items than RNs and physicians. We found relatively little difference in views between RNs and physicians. It was only on issues surrounding the quality of care and patient safety that doctors showed more concerns, albeit mild, than RNs and nurse specialists.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RNs, nurse specialists and physicians generally hold neutral to moderately positive views on nurse prescribing. This is beneficial for the implementation and potential success of nurse prescribing in practice, as a lack of peer support and/or objections from physicians can be a hampering factor. However, concerns about the consequences of nurse prescribing for the quality of care and patient safety remain a point for attention, especially among physicians.
authors.affiliation: NIVEL, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, PO Box 1568, 3500 BN Utrecht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: M.Kroezen@nivel.nl.
authors.forename: Marieke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kroezen
authors.affiliation: NIVEL, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, PO Box 1568, 3500 BN Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Liset
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: van Dijk
authors.affiliation: NIVEL, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, PO Box 1568, 3500 BN Utrecht, The Netherlands; Department of Sociology and Department of Human Geography, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Peter P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Groenewegen
authors.affiliation: Royal Dutch Medical Association, PO Box 20051, 3502 LB Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marlies
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Rond
authors.affiliation: NIVEL, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, PO Box 1568, 3500 BN Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Anke J E
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: de Veer
authors.affiliation: NIVEL, Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research, PO Box 1568, 3500 BN Utrecht, The Netherlands; Department of Public and Occupational Health, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research (EMGO+) of VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Anneke L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Francke
mesh_terms: D003625:Data Collection; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D009426:Netherlands; D009740:Nursing Staff; D010820:Physicians; D057184:Practice Patterns, Nurses'; D013041:Specialties, Nursing
keywords: Drug prescriptions; Nurses; Physicians; Physician–nurse relations; Professional autonomy; Professional practice