What is the Readiness of Registered Nurses Who Provide Care for Patients with Diabetes in a Primary Care Setting for Registered Nurse Prescribing?

Abstract

Objective: To determine the readiness of registered nurses (RNs) who provide care for patients with diabetes in a primary care setting for RN prescribing. Setting: Canadian provinces and territories. Participants: Canadian RNs working in primary care settings who provide care to patients with diabetes. Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was used to examine the readiness of RNs by measuring the attributes of readiness (value, confidence and willingness). The survey included questions on the demographic profile of participants including their age, education level and whether or not they had obtained additional certifications. This data was used to describe the sample and to determine whether there were differences between RNs who were ready to prescribe and RNs who were not ready to prescribe. Results: Almost 75% of the respondents were "ready" for RN prescribing. There were high positive correlations between "value" and "confidence", "value" and "willingness", and "confidence" and "willingness". There were no statistically significant differences in age, level of education and certifications for respondents who were ready to prescribe compared to those who were not ready to prescribe. Conclusions: The results of the present study indicate that RNs who provide care for patients with diabetes in a primary care setting are ready for prescribing. This practice has the potential to make more effective use of health human resources, allowing RNs to work to their full potential and increase accessibility to care for patients with diabetes.