Introduction:
Due to different reasons, nurses are always faced with numerous ethical issues in daily clinical practice. One of the most controversial issues is in relation to the nurse prescribing. This study aimed to describe the reasons for prescribing by nurses in some clinical situations.
Materials and Methods:
This descriptive qualitative study was carried out with the participation of 19 nurses working in one of the educational centers of Tehran University of Medical Sciences through interviews in 2014. Purposeful sampling through semi-structured interviews was used to collect data. Data analysis was performed using conventional (inductive) content analysis and coding was done by the MAXQDA (2007) software. To achieve the accuracy and reliability of the data, the Lincoln and Guba authenticity criteria were used.
Results:
Analysis of the recorded interviews of participants in this study resulted in 5 subcategories and 2 main categories. The main emerged categories were" human values" (with three subcategories entitled "the priority of human life, "human conscience" and "sacrifice and dedication") and" organizational norms"(with two subcategories namely "governance of organizational rules" and" accountability system").
Conclusion:
Despite being aware of the lack of legal authority to prescribe drugs, the participants of this study prioritize patients' life, due to adhere to ethical principles. The health system policy-makers are expected to facilitate the development of legislation and clear regulations of nurse prescribing in order to have a contribution in humanitarian action.