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Regulation Nurse/Midwife Prescribing – Certificate

  • Location: Athlone

  • weeks: 15

  • Level 8

  • Course Type Flexible and Professional Learning

  • Study Mode Part Time

  • Department Nursing & Healthcare

Course Overview

Medicinal Product prescribing is an expansion of a registered nurse/ midwife’s scope of practice, beyond the skills, competence and knowledge a practitioner possesses at the point of registration. This module prepares nurses and midwives to develop awareness of the legislative and regulatory frameworks which govern the role of the prescriber of medicinal products.

This special purpose award enhances capacity of nurses and midwives to cultivate the required professional attributes of responsibility and accountability outlined by the NMBI Practice Standards and Guidelines for Prescriptive Authority (2019) in preparation for their future role as prescribers of medicinal products.

In the clinical care environment, the capacity to prescribe is imbedded within the context of organisational governance and risk management structures which all nurse and midwife prescribers must operate within, in conjunction with scope of practice, individual competence, skill level, expertise and experience. The Certificate in Regulation Nurse/Midwife Prescribing prepares nurses and midwives to develop and apply knowledge regarding professional and ethical practice, mitigation of risk and risk management, clinical governance requirements for safe, timely and cost-effective medicinal product prescribing for the patient cohorts for whom they provide care.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this programme the learner will/should be able to:

  1. Analyse professional, legislative, regulatory, safety requirements and guidelines which underpin safe and effective prescribing of medicinal preparations.
  2. Examine professional accountability and responsibility as it pertains to the principles of the prescribing process and medication management informed by evidenced based practice. To include risk mitigation and management, clinical governance, scope of practice, legal liability and clinical indemnity requirements for prescribing in the context of the expanded nurse/midwife role.
  3. Appraise prescribing policies in the context of the wider health system with a particular emphasis on cost benefit analyses, principles of pharmaco-economics, collaborative working which support timely and cost-effective medicinal product prescribing.
  4. Critically analyse documentation/record keeping requirements with regard to medication management, prescribing and identify opportunities and requirements for audit of prescribing practice.
  5. Distinguish through reflection the core principles of the prescribing process as applied to nurse and midwife prescribing, including ethical principles which guide prescribing practice.

Contact Details

Dr. Denise Blanchfield

Email: Denise.Blanchfield@tus.ie

Entry Requirement

Students are required to:

  • Be Registered in either General, Psychiatric, Children’s, Intellectual Disability, Midwife or Public Health Nurse Divisions of the Register.
  • Have three years recent post registration clinical experience in nursing/ midwifery (within the past 5 years) with the equivalent of oneyear full-time experience in the specific area of practice.
  • The nurse/midwife must possess the competencies recognised at Level 8 of the NQAI framework.
  • The nurse/midwife must demonstrate evidence of further education, and possess a competent level of information technology literacy.

Additional Information

Regulatory and Legislative Requirements Nurse and Midwife Prescribing – Level 8 – 10 Credits

To achieve the learning outcomes, the programme will incorporate face-to-face learning while incorporating remote online learning via a virtual learning environment platform. Teaching and learning strategies will be drawn from a combination of Lecture, e-learning and group work.

Subject matter will include Professional, legislative, regulatory requirements and guidelines which underpin safe prescribing of medicinal preparations. Professional accountability and responsibility. Evidence based prescribing. Risk mitigation & management in the context of nurse/midwife prescribing. Clinical governance, legal liability, reporting adverse events, scope of practice and clinical indemnity requirements for prescribing in the context of the expanded nurse/midwife role.

System-wide policy and healthcare environment drivers for nurse/midwife prescribing, including ethical principles informing nurse/midwife prescribing, cost benefit analyses, pharmaco-economics, cost-effective prescribing and collaborative working. Documentation/record keeping requirements, audit of prescribing practice. Utilising reflection to support and enhance prescribing practice and understanding of the prescribing process in the context of nurse/midwife prescribing.

Regulation for Nurse/Midwife Prescribing is a Level 8, Special Purpose Award which will be delivered over a 15-week period using a blended learning approach in which there will be a requirement to attend Campus in person for a maximum 4 Days for the duration of the programme with a maximum 10 days (online part days) for theoretical instruction.

It is envisaged that nurses who complete this programme will have the requisite knowledge to undertake further postgraduate studies in nursing and healthcare related subjects.

Successful completion of this programme enables nurses and midwives to develop a deep understanding of the regulatory and legislative requirements which govern nurse and midwife preascribing in Ireland. Additionally completion of this programme may facilitate consideration by the Nurse & Midwifery Board of Ireland for registration as Nurse/ Midwife Prescriber for registered nurses/midwives who have completed a recognised programme of Nurse/Midwife Prescribing in other jurisdictions.

Programme Cost: €1,000

January 2026