Nurse Prescribing

The Certificate Nurse/Midwife Prescribing will give you the theoretical and practical knowledge to be competent in medication management. The course complies with the statutory, professional and interdisciplinary framework for the development of expertise in the area of prescriptive authority.

The course is first and foremost about making a difference, and has provided the opportunity for nurses and midwives to expand their roles to meet the needs of patients and service users within their area of expertise. The course will also enhance your professional capacity so that services are more patient-focused, thereby delivering better outcomes.

The Certificate Nurse/Midwife Prescribing is a six-month full-time course consisting of 11 days theory and a practical element of 96 hours achieved through mentorship in the clinical setting. The clinical element of the course is provided in your specific clinical practice area with instruction and supervision from a dedicated medical practitioner who will act as your mentor.

Why Choose This Course
Nurse/Midwife Prescribing is one of very few postgraduate education courses available nationwide relating to prescriptive authority. It draws together a broad-based approach to contemporary issues in the field. This course provides candidates with the educational foundation to develop their career, offering them a pathway to the second year of the MSc in Nursing within UCC. This in turn supports candidates' progression to Clinical Nurse Specialist and Advanced Nurse Practitioner roles within nursing.

Students take 30 credits as follows:
- GP5000 Systematic Assessment and Evaluation in Patient Care (10 credits)
- NU5048 Professional, Ethical and Legal Practice, Communication Aspects of Prescribing and Clinical Practicum (10 credits)
- PF5011 Drug Action and Prescribing (10 credits)

For further information see our postgraduate calendar.

Entry Requirements
Registration as a nurse or midwife on the live register of the Nursing and Midwifery Bord of Ireland

Minimum of 3 years post-registration clinical experience (the required clinical practice experience must have been gained within the past 5 years with at least one year in the area in which prescribing is proposed and excludes time spent undertaking further post registration programmes)

Possession of up-to-date competencies recognised at Level 8 of the NQAI framework

Demonstration of continuous professional development and ability to study at Level 8

Support from employer and completed Site Self-Declaration Form, signed by the Director of Nursing/Midwifery/Public Health

Nomination and confirmation of a designated medical practitioner mentor (completed Site Self-Declaration Form, signed by the Medical Practitioner/Mentor) who will provide the student with supervision, support and opportunities including shadowing opportunities.

The nurse or midwife must contact the Director of Nursing/Midwifery/Public Health to discuss the identified need for nurse and midwife prescribing in their area/organisation. In addition consideration needs to be given to developing the nurse and midwife prescribing initiative in relation to a number of issues including, legislative and professional practice requirements and standards, clinical governance structures, scope of practice, clinical competency, mentoring arrangements, multidisciplinary partnership and the individuals ability to undertake the education programme and capability to meet the requirements of the new role and the capacity to drive and develop the new initiative safely. The nurse or midwife must seek the approval of their Director of Nursing/Midwifery/Public Health to apply for the education programme. A nurse or midwife must satisfy the criteria as determined by the Higher Education Institution and the Implementation Group on Nurse/Midwife Prescribing as set out in the entry requirements.

English Language Requirements
Applicants that are non-native speakers of the English language must meet the university approved English language requirements available online.

For applicants with qualifications completed outside of Ireland
Applicants must meet the required entry academic grade, equivalent to Irish requirements, please find our grades comparison by country online.

International/non-EU applicants
For full details of the non-EU application procedure please visit our how to apply pages for international students. In UCC, we use the term programme and course interchangeably to describe what a person has registered to study in UCC and its constituent colleges, schools, and departments.

Not all courses are open to international/non-EU applicants, please check the fact file above.

For more information please contact the International Office.

Closing Date: 3 June 2022.

How Do I Apply

1. Choose Course
Firstly choose your course. Applicants can apply for up to two courses under one application. Details of taught courses are available on our online prospectus.

2. Apply Online
Once you have chosen your course you can apply online at the online application portal. Applicants will need to apply before the course closing date. There is a non-refundable €50 application fee for all courses apart from the Education - Professional Master of Education - (Secondary School/Post-Primary Teacher Training) which has a €100 application fee.

Applicants for the Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health Nursing must apply on the PAC website when the programme opens for applications.

3. Gather Supporting Documents
Scanned copies of the following documents will need to be uploaded to the online application portal in support of your application. Applicants may need to produce the original documents if you are accepted onto a course and register at UCC.

Original qualification documents listed on your application including transcripts of results from institutions other than UCC
Any supplementary items requested for your course.
Please log into the online application portal for more details.

4. Application processing timeline
Our online application portal opens for applications for most courses in early November of each year. Check specific course details.

5. Rounds
For courses that are in the rounds system (Irish and EU applicants), please check the rounds closing dates online.

Questions on how to apply?
Please use our web enquiry form to contact us.

Additional Requirements (All Applicants)
Please note you will be required to provide additional information as part of the online application process for this programme. This will include the following questions:

You may enter the details of professional or voluntary positions held. We strongly encourage you to complete this section with all relevant work experiences that will support your application.
Please describe your motivation and readiness for this programme.
In addition to your previously declared qualifications, please outline any additional academic courses, self-learning and professional training relevant to this programme.
You must be employed by an approved hospital and upload a letter of consent from the hospital of employment.
Please upload certification of current registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI).

Potential applicants will also be requested to complete the following forms and upload to the application portal once completed:
Site Declaration Form Nurse Prescribing Cert 2022

Please enter the names and email addresses of 2 referees.

Deferrals
Deferrals are not permitted on this course.

6 Months full-time

Skills and Careers Information
Nurse/Midwife Prescribing offers the opportunity to develop critical thinking skills and a knowledge base to inform evidence-based practice.