Scotland autumn 2012 report

Published: 21 September 2012

I qualified as a nurse in Glasgow in 1992, and first worked as an emergency nurse practitioner in 1999, shortly after completing my training as a children’s nurse in Brighton. I have been in my current role as an advanced nurse practitioner in Dumfries since 2007, primarily in unscheduled and emergency care, but with spells in the ‘hospital at night’ team too. During this time the role has seen a number of changes and developments.

I have a particular interest in prescribing, and am also on the committee of the Association for Nurse Prescribers, while completing a doctorate examining decision making by non-medical prescribers in the acute care setting.

Advanced practice in Scotland is facing many of the same issues as the rest of the UK, particularly developing the roles with a possible future medical staffing shortage pushing the agenda and the profession in certain directions. However particular areas of work at the moment include transcribing of medications between care settings, developing standardised role descriptors and core competencies for ANPs, and encouraging health boards to embrace a completely masters level workforce.

For these reasons I would like to see the forum supporting national standards for ANPs, with a new place on the register for those who qualify. I would also like to see greater evaluation of the roles, through audit and research. As advanced practice sits within multi-professional teams, I would also like to see development of stronger links with other professions (for example the College of Emergency Medicine), promoting understanding, respect, and joint education and development between professions.

Andrew Rideout, Advanced Nurse Practitioner Forum steering committee member