Community nursing and antibiotic stewardship: the importance of communication and training
Issue Date
2019-07-02Subjects
communication skillsantibiotic stewardship
patient expectations
antibiotic guardians
nurse prescribers
B790 Nursing not elsewhere classified
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Antimicrobial stewardship (using antimicrobials responsibly) can reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Many health professionals identify themselves as ‘antibiotic guardians’, but patient expectations, time constraints, and a lack of confidence or underdeveloped communication skills can influence decisions to prescribe. Nurse prescribers have an important role to play in antibiotic stewardship, and their numbers continue to grow. While nurse prescribers welcome this extension to their traditional role, they are often faced with barriers to antibiotic stewardship activities. These barriers may relate to their Capability (knowledge/skill), Opportunity (norms of practice, influence of patients, environmental factors), and Motivation (attitudes and beliefs, concern over outcome, emotion and habit) [COM-B]. Education, training and enablement can help to overcome these barriers, and the development of knowledge, confidence and effective communication skills should be of priority. Further, communication skills can help nurse prescribers understand patient expectations, with the use of open-ended questions, active listening and creation of a patient-centred consultation that leads to a mutually agreed end goal and way forward.Citation
Chater A, Courtenay M (2019) 'Community nursing and antibiotic stewardship: the importance of communication and training', British Journal of Community Nursing, 24 (7), pp.338-342.Publisher
MA Healthcare LtdPubMed ID
31265341Type
ArticleLanguage
enISSN
1462-4753EISSN
2052-2215ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.12968/bjcn.2019.24.7.338