This study aims to investigate and enhance understanding of nurse prescribers' expereinces of working with the Irish national data gathering system for nurse prescribing: the Minimum Data Set (MDS) in the Irish clinical setting. A phenomenological research design was used, collecting data via semi-structured interviews using a purposive sample of practising nurse prescribers. The study identified three recurrent themes: communication, workload/time, and attitudes. The MDS produces only standard national reports (lists) on nurse/midwife prescribing that cannot be utilised efficiently to inform practice or understand health service needs. Nurses have reacted to this situation and evaluated the MDS in the context of their clinical setting, identifying conflicting demands and expectations and an increased workload as factors that correlated negatively with the process of collecting nurse prescribing data. Consultation and evaluation is required, particularly to analyse the nurse prescribers' views of collecting data and working with the MDS in the context of the major adjustments that the Irish health service has expereinced over the past six years.