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Rural and metropolitan South Australian mental health workers’ views about nurse prescribing: A thematic analysis
Author(s) -
Muyambi Kuda,
Leach Matthew,
Martinez Lee,
Cronin Kathryn,
McPhail Ruth,
Dennis Shaun,
Walsh Sandra,
Gray Richard,
Jones Martin
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
health and social care in the community
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.984
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1365-2524
pISSN - 0966-0410
DOI - 10.1111/hsc.12653
Subject(s) - metropolitan area , workforce , medicine , economic shortage , thematic analysis , focus group , mental health , nursing , family medicine , qualitative research , economic growth , psychiatry , business , government (linguistics) , sociology , social science , linguistics , philosophy , pathology , marketing , economics
Abstract Almost one third of the South Australian population reside in regional locations, which are serviced by just 8% of the State's total psychiatrist workforce. Consequently, access to psychotropic medications in regional South Australia (SA) can be challenging. Granting prescribing rights to mental health nurses (MHNs) located in regional settings presents an opportunity to increase consumer access to psychotropic medications. The aim of the study was to understand the perspectives of mental health workers (MHWs) practising in regional and metropolitan settings towards MHN prescribing. The study adopted a qualitative approach. Seventeen MHWs participated in three focus groups, including two in regional SA and one in a metropolitan site within the State of SA. Participants reported difficulties in accessing medicines in regional areas. The regional focus groups indicated that MHN prescribing may help to release psychiatrists’ time and provide quicker assessment and diagnosis. By contrast, the metropolitan focus group expressed reservations about MHN prescribing. Participants indicated that suitable governance structures supported by appropriate education programmes were a necessary prerequisite for MHN prescribing of psychotropic medications. MHN prescribing may help to mitigate the impact of psychiatrist shortages in regional South Australia and possibly in other areas of the world where recruitment is a challenge. The provision of adequate education and the establishment of a suitable governance and support framework are considered necessary steps to progress MHN prescribing.