Supplementary prescription writing for the nursing undergraduate students- Simulation- based Interprofessional Education

The nursing curriculum is revised into competency-based and gazetted notification is released in 2021 in which ‘fundamentals of prescribing’ is a mandatory module for IV semester for BSc Nursing undergraduate students (9). Under this, the nursing undergraduate students must be taught prescription writing.  With this study, a training module for supplementary prescription writing by nursing undergraduate students will be developed.

The aim of this study is

 To develop a training module for supplementary prescription writing by the nursing undergraduate students using simulation-based interprofessional education

 The objectives of this study are

·       To check for the readiness of

 Nursing students to write the prescription

 Medical and nursing students for interprofessional education

·       To develop a supplementary prescription writing training module on suspected ST elevated myocardial infarction for nursing undergraduates with an interprofessional team

·       To evaluate the effectiveness of the supplementary prescription writing training module using simulation-based Interprofessional education as a pilot study

Methodology

a)  Readiness for prescription writing by the nursing students will be checked using a pre-validated closed-ended questionnaire. Readiness for interprofessional education will be checked among medical and nursing undergraduates using Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale Questionnaire (RIPLS) 

b) A supplementary prescription writing training module will be developed as per the requirement of the nursing curriculum inclusive of topics- introduction, Prescriptive role of Nurse Practitioners; Professional, legal, and ethical issues relevant to prescribing practice; Principles of prescribing and factors influencing it; process and steps of prescribing; prescribing competencies, prescription writing template with the help of an interprofessional team.

Interprofessional team is inclusive of

PI, Co-PIs, Mentors, Pharmacology department HOD & faculty, Simulation- head, technician and adjunct faculty, Physician, Cardiologist, MEU faculty, Medicolegal expert and nursing staff.

This module will be validated by using the Delphi method 

c)  Evaluation of the effectiveness of the supplementary prescription writing training module by the nursing students will be done using simulation-based interprofessional education

The following sessions will be conducted

i)               A workshop session

Participants will be trained in prescription writing inclusive of topics- Prescriptive role of Nurse Practitioners, Professional, legal, and ethical issues relevant to prescribing practice, Principles of prescribing and factors influencing it, process and steps of prescribing, and prescribing competencies

Prescription writing for suspected STEMI in an interprofessional setup will be taught to the nursing students

Assessment

Their level of understanding will be assessed using pre-test and post-test

Case scenarios will be given to the participants for prescription writing and will be assessed using the validated checklist

ii)        Simulation-based suspected STEMI case scenario run in the simulation center with the nursing and medical undergraduate participants.  Interprofessional collaboration, clinical reasoning, decision-making and critical thinking will be assessed using the validated checklist. There will be a pre-brief and debrief sessions.