Nursing & Midwifery - Advanced Practice Nursing - Prescribing

Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) and Advanced Midwife Practitioner (AMP) roles in Ireland have evolved and expanded in recent years, in response to Ireland’s healthcare service needs. A clear policy framework for advanced practice nursing now exists that is responsive to heath service needs and aligns with national nursing health policy (Opens in new windowDOH, 2017) and professional nursing regulation (Opens in new windowNMBI, 2017).



The educational programmes that prepare nurses to practice at an advanced level in clinical settings must complement the requirements of such health policy and profession standards criteria while meeting the healthcare needs of the population.



RCSI's approach to advanced practice nursing

The advanced practice nursing programmes at RCSI School of Nursing and Midwifery provide innovative and practical frameworks to guide the educational and professional development of nurses and midwives progressing to ANP/AMP roles. The programmes offer nurses and midwifes the opportunity to develop the appropriate knowledge and clinical skills required for ANP/AMP roles through reflection and practice experience, clinical learning, online learning, face-to-face learning and clinical simulation practice.



RCSI's advanced practice nursing programmes acknowledge and prioritise the mentoring and clinical support requirements for each student to realise their full potential as ANP/AMPs. These programmes are suitable for nurses and midwives working within and between a variety of healthcare settings and services.



Course details

Advanced practice nursing is a defined career pathway for registered nurses, committed to continuing professional development and clinical supervision, to practice at a higher level of capability as independent autonomous and expert practitioners (Opens in new windowNMBI, 2017). The Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Practice Nursing (Prescribing) curriculum offered at RCSI is innovative, flexible and practice-orientated, leading to participants’ registration as advanced nurse practitioners.



On successful completion of this programme, nurses will be eligible to apply for registration as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) and a Registered Nurse Prescriber (RNP) with the NMBI. This programme is delivered part-time over two years.

Modules

Year 1

• Advanced Practice Clinical Practicum I

• Pharmacology

• Advanced Systematic Assessment

• Professional Accountability in Nurse/Midwife Prescribing



Year 2

• Advanced Practice Clinical Practicum II

• Advanced Professional Accountability, Clinical Governance and Decision Making

• Optional Specialist Module (x1)

To be eligible for this programme you must:



Have a minimum of an honours primary degree in nursing or equivalent.



Hold active registration on a division of the professional register maintained by the Opens in new windowNursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI).



Have three years’ recent post-registration clinical experience in nursing/midwifery (within the past five years), with the equivalent of one-year full time experience in the specific area of practice. This aligns with the standards and requirements for nurses and midwives with prescriptive authority of medicinal products (2010).



Provide evidence of support from an employer and a completed Site Declaration Form (Advanced Practice Nursing Site Declaration Form All Applicants), signed by the Director of Nursing/Public Health/authorised nurse manager. This must contain confirmation of a designated medical practitioner mentor and/or ANP mentor.



Possess competencies at Level 8 of the National Framework of Qualifications.



Demonstrate evidence of continuing professional development.



Possess a competent level of information technology literacy.



Be currently employed as a nurse or midwife in the voluntary and statutory services of the Health Service Executive or a private health service organisation.



Please note:

*If you do not hold a level 8 qualification, you may still be eligible to join the programme through our pathway programme, please contact us for further information on this route.

2 years part-time.