Introduction

In recent years there has been a huge growth in nurse-led clinics within hospital outpatient departments, general practitioner surgeries and health centres. The government has endorsed the use of such clinics as a way for the public to access specialist health care and treatment more quickly and also as an effective way to manage chronic ill health. However, there is a lack of uniform structure in educational preparation for nurses interested in taking up nurse-led practice and a dearth of literature offering practical guidance. This text provides a much-needed overview of this new arena for nursing and includes case studies from practitioners running nurse-led clinics.

Topics Covered

Setting up a clinic

Public protection issues

Nurse education

Managing medicines

Effectiveness and evaluation

The text allows the reader to explore key practice issues which directly affect the quality of service provided. It will be an invaluable handbook for nurses directly involved in running clinics, for those responsible for the provision of nurse-led services and for nurse educators.