Nurse prescribing in specialist mental health (part 2): the views and experiences of psychiatrists and health professionals

The establishment of working relationships between nurse prescribers and other health professionals, particularly psychiatrists offering supervision, can be a rewarding one. However there remains little guidance in terms of how this can be achieved and the opinions of those from different disciplines in specialist mental health teams. This study aims to look at the views and experiences of psychiatrists and other mental health professionals regarding nurse prescribing. Nine health professionals from a multidisciplinary mental health team attended a focus group; and two psychiatrists were interviewed, both with varying degrees of supervision experience. Psychiatrists reported concerns about prescribing in terms of themselves needing better support and communication, and perhaps having an involvement in the selection process. Nonetheless, the psychiatrist who had experience of supervision reported that this was highly positive. Overall, health professionals stated that nurse prescribing enhanced team working; however, most had limited knowledge about the role. Further training for teams, and the establishment of a good supervisory relationship and an agreed working structure are required to fully integrate this competency into specialist mental health services.