Heather Bain

Professional, legal and ethical dimensions of prescribing. Part 2: legal and ethical

Professional, legal and ethical dimensions of prescribing. Part 2: legal and ethical

Legislation and underpinning ethical principles that guide decision-making in prescribing

Professional, legal and ethical dimensions of prescribing. Part 1: professional

Professional, legal and ethical dimensions of prescribing. Part 1: professional

This first article of two identifies the main professional dimensions of prescribing practice

Book review: Hebridean Heroines

Senior lecturer in postgraduate CPD education, Heather Bain reviews Hebridean Heroines

Study time

Supporting practice learning time for non-medical prescribing students: managers’ views

Managers in healthcare services have ever-increasing demands to consider in relation to front line care, including the continuing professional education needs of qualified practitioners who are advancing their roles. One advancement is non-medical prescribing, and this article reports part of the findings from a survey undertaken in Scotland which explored managers’ views of the clinical support of staff enrolled on a non-medical prescribing programme. The article discusses how managers have an important role to play in supporting these learners in practice, and suggests all stakeholders should be aware of the pressure this adds to managers, and seek creative solutions to support the process of learning.

The management of caseloads in district nursing services

Working in the community requires an additional set of skills from working in the acute sector and caseload management is a vital component of the district nurse role. Effective management ensures that the health and social needs of individuals, families, carers and communities are met using available resources. The move to a primary care focused-NHS has led to an increased pressure on the community nursing service, and nurses need a good knowledge of strategies to effectively manage their caseload. This article explores the principles of teamwork and the management of caseloads in community nursing. It explores questions of workload analysis, referral, delegation, skill mix and leadership.