Mr. David STEWART
Associate Director, Nursing and Health Policy, International Council of Nurses (ICN)
Queensland University of Technology, Australia

Mr. Stewart is a Nursing and Health Policy Consultant for the International Council of Nurses. Prior to this role, he was engaged by the Queensland Government as a Director of Nursing in the Office of the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer. He has over 22 years’ experience in private and government health sector. David has expertise in public policy development, patient safety, strategy and innovation, health service planning, management and has worked in governance and development roles.

Mr. Stewart has worked with numerous international agencies as an expert advisor including the International Atomic and Energy Agency supporting the education and training of nurses in Low and Middle-Income Countries; the World Health Organisation in the areas of Patient Safety and Medication Safety, NCDs, the Global Coalition on Circulatory Health; and on the Board of Nursing Ethics.

Abstract

Prescriptive Authority for Nurses – A Global Perspective

Prescriptive authority for nurses and allied health professionals has been gaining momentum in many countries across the world. Much of this drive has come as a response to the changing landscape of healthcare demands and concerns regarding access to care, the evolution of healthcare systems and the professionals who provide care. A range of healthcare professionals (e.g. nurses, midwives’, optometrists, podiatrists, dieticians, pharmacists, paramedics, physiotherapists, radiographers, other) have prescriptive authority . These professions, their education and training, credentialing and models of prescribing often differ within countries and between countries. This session seeks to provide guidance on the topic in order to promote a level of consistency, protect public’s health and support countries develop a framework for clinical practice as it relates to prescriptive authority for nurses.

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