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11/02/2016
New Agreement Transfers Key Task From Doctors To Nurses
The health service and unions have agreed the transfer of four key tasks from doctors to nurses, Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform, Brendan Howlin, has announced.
Under the agreement, nurses will now be responsible for taking blood, discharging patients, giving first dose antibiotics and administering drugs intravenously.
Welcoming the news, Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar, said: "Since I was a medical student, people have been talking about nurses taking over these tasks from junior doctors. I am really delighted to have got it over the line as Health Minister.
"This is a win-win for everyone. Nurses will be able to use their new skills and they will benefit financially in return for taking on this additional work. Junior doctors will benefit as the reduced workload will help us to continue to reduce their working hours and they will be less likely to miss out on important training time in theatre and in clinics. Patients will benefit as there will be fewer delays when it comes to getting their IV antibiotics, their bloods taken or discharge papers, and there will be fewer delays for patients in the clinic waiting rooms as doctors won’t be expected to be on the wards and in a clinic at the same time as frequently as they are now."
(MH/LM)
Under the agreement, nurses will now be responsible for taking blood, discharging patients, giving first dose antibiotics and administering drugs intravenously.
Welcoming the news, Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar, said: "Since I was a medical student, people have been talking about nurses taking over these tasks from junior doctors. I am really delighted to have got it over the line as Health Minister.
"This is a win-win for everyone. Nurses will be able to use their new skills and they will benefit financially in return for taking on this additional work. Junior doctors will benefit as the reduced workload will help us to continue to reduce their working hours and they will be less likely to miss out on important training time in theatre and in clinics. Patients will benefit as there will be fewer delays when it comes to getting their IV antibiotics, their bloods taken or discharge papers, and there will be fewer delays for patients in the clinic waiting rooms as doctors won’t be expected to be on the wards and in a clinic at the same time as frequently as they are now."
(MH/LM)
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