The role of nurse prescribers in memory services and their continuing professional development: A review of the literature

BackgroundNurse prescribers (NPs) in memory services have a potentially important role in alleviating the burden of dementia on health care, but they require continuing professional development (CPD) specific to their scope of practice. AimsTo inform development of CPD workshops for mental health NPs working in memory services, a review of the literature was undertaken regarding role and CPD issues of this professional group. Design and MethodsHealthcare databases were searched using defined search terms alongside lateral searches. Study characteristics were extracted systematically, with results grouped thematically in the style of a narrative review. Reporting followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, adapted for current methods (see Supporting Information File S1). Results and DiscussionNine articles specifically addressing nurse prescribing in memory services were found. Studies from broader areas were drawn upon. Considerable variation was found for how the role of memory service NPs might be defined, due in part to variation in characteristics of memory services. NPs, other clinical staff and patients have provided positive feedback to the introduction of the role in memory services and elsewhere. However, concerns around prescribing cautiousness of NPs were apparent. Little clinical or economic outcome data were found to compare opinions and experiences to, with none for NPs in memory services. Literature addressing CPD issues for NPs in memory services was nonexistent. Studies from surrounding areas suggest a problem with availability of CPD opportunities for nurse prescribers. ConclusionThis review highlights the paucity of literature for this area of inquiry, particularly for clinical, economic and other patient outcome data. Relevance to Clinical PracticeVariation in the little existing evidence suggests development of CPD opportunities should spend time understanding issues at the local level. The gap in the literature in this area may impact policy decisions in the UK and elsewhere.