1. The prescriber’s role: purpose, scope and accountability
What prescribing is; independent/supplementary models; competence; accountability; deciding not to prescribe.
Learning programme · #P13
Foundations of Prescribing - Nurse Prescribing Preparation Pathway
A 15-module pathway combining the 12 prescribing-foundation modules with three nurse-specific modules on NMC prescribing routes, readiness for approved prescribing education and transition into safe workplace practice. It does not confer V300/V150/V100 status, NMC approval, register annotation or employer authorisation.
Who this programme is for
Registered nurses or midwives exploring or preparing for NMC-approved prescribing education, and employers/educators supporting that preparation. This ClinicalEdu pathway is not an NMC-approved prescribing programme.
Certificate process: Integrated final assessment + optional private reflection + course completion certificate
Sign in to record progress and qualify for a programme certificate.
2. Clinical assessment and diagnostic reasoning
History, examination principles, red flags, investigations, differential diagnosis, uncertainty and escalation.
3. Applied pharmacology for prescribers
Mechanisms, dose-response, therapeutic index, adverse effects, tolerance/dependence and class reasoning.
4. Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and individual variation
ADME, half-life, steady state, dose adjustment, age/frailty/genetics/physiology.
5. Safe prescribing, calculations and medicines information
Prescription components, numeracy, formulations/routes, BNF/formularies, evidence and decision support.
6. Interactions, contraindications and high-risk medicines
Drug interactions, allergies, high-risk medicines, monitoring and escalation.
7. Medicines optimisation, polypharmacy and deprescribing
Reconciliation, structured review, burden, adherence, deprescribing and shared decisions.
8. Prescribing in special situations
Renal/hepatic impairment, frailty, pregnancy/breastfeeding, children, weight, multimorbidity and route issues.
9. Monitoring, adverse reactions and pharmacovigilance
Baseline/follow-up monitoring, ADRs, Yellow Card, toxicity, safety-netting and incident learning.
10. Antimicrobial prescribing and stewardship
Diagnosis, microbiology, local guidance, spectrum, dose/duration, review/de-escalation and resistance.
11. Patient partnership and complex prescribing decisions
Consent, capacity, communication, adherence, remote prescribing, self/family prescribing and complex judgement.
12. Governance, errors and transition to formal prescribing education
Professional standards, documentation, scope, legal/employer governance, incidents, portfolios and next steps.
13. What nurse prescribing is
NMC categories, independent/supplementary/community prescribing, annotation, prescribing vs PGD/supply/administration.
14. Preparing for an NMC-approved prescribing programme
Readiness, assessment/diagnostic capability, pharmacology/numeracy, AEI selection, supervised practice and portfolio.
15. From qualification to safe workplace practice
Annotation, employer governance, scope, controlled drugs, supervision, revalidation/CPD and Wales assurance.
Course completion
Sign in to complete the integrated final assessment and receive the course certificate.
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