Anthony's Story

Antony Smith

Nursing Lecturer and Independent and Supplementary None-Medical Prescriber

I was a nurse in the NHS for 27 years before joining the team at UCB. In that time, I have held a variety of positions from staff nurse, senior staff nurse and charge nurse until going into a specialist role as a Clinical Specialist in Stroke (CNS), where I was responsible for leading a TIA service and part of a busy Stroke specialist team at a hospital in North Warwickshire.

 It was as a CNS that I became a none-medical prescriber which was a skill I utilised on a daily basis whether it was seeing patients in clinic or in A+E as part of the initial assessment team. I worked very closely with the stroke consultant and I was the only prescriber amongst the nursing team. My last role included diagnostics, requesting investigations, prescribing, referring appropriately and first on call for Stroke covering a 7 day a week service as part of a small team.

My main areas of interest are consultation, history taking and communication whilst concentrating on shared decision making and person-centred care. Being able to prescribe for many years  has allowed me to work more independently and appreciate the full extent of treating patients.