Relationships in nurse prescribing: revealing the processes.

Nurse prescribing, a relatively recent policy initiative in the NHS, has the potential to initiate long-term changes to the ways in which the various actors in primary care relate to each other. Focusing primarily on the working lives of district nurses, this article explores the ways these practitioners and others interact, using their own words as a source of data. Semi-structured interviews are undertaken with a number of professionals in a purposive sample (17 nurse prescribers, four non-prescribing nurses, two pharmacists and one general practitioner) employing an iterative approach. Data revealed are analysed thematically to produce detailed explanatory accounts of activity centering around prescribing. Concepts generated from the themes (team working, effects on roles, prescribing mechanisms and relationships) are discussed. Findings indicate that working relationships generally operate smoothly, although some staff nurses, pharmacists and GPs appear unclear about some legal aspects of the prescribing role.