Should nurses diagnose?

[emmabond]

The 2009 SVN Conference is focussing it's debate on the question 'Should Nurses Diagnose?'
What is your opinion on this question?
Do you diagnose?
Are you happy with the level of autonomy you have in this aspect of your role?
Any comments would be gratefully received
Em

[vascular]

I think that nurses should diagnose, if they have the skills and knowledge as well as the experience to do so.
These days the junior doctors are not in clinics or around due to other committments, and the doctors rely more and more on the specialist knowledge from the nurses.
Also, I think that nurses can explain the disease process to the patients in a way that they can understand much better than many of the doctors.
Patients are generally happy to been seen by a nurse as long as the nurse is competent at what she/he is doing.
Many studies have backed the up.

[Leanne Cook]

Hi

Yes nurses with appropriate skills, knowledge, training and supervision are able to diagnosis safely. In the current climate where the number of vascular training posts are reducing and junior doctor hours decreasing the NHS will need to rely on the nursing profession to fill the gaps, and I believe that this is something that we can do well while still improving the quality of care our patients receive. Think it will help when the NMC agree to a Advanced Nurse Practitioner registrar to safe guard our patients to ensure nurses that are diagnosing have appropriate skills needed.