31302 – Nurse practitioners
31302 – Nurse practitioners
Nurse practitioners are registered nurses with additional education, advanced knowledge and nursing experience, and a specialty of practice. They provide a range of health services to patients and deliver preventive and continuous care toward the management of patients' health. Nurse practitioners work in conjunction with physicians and collaboratively with other nursing colleagues and health-care providers, or they may work independently. They are employed in community health centres, hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, and rehabilitation centres. Nurse practitioners may specialize in primary healthcare or acute care.
Profile
Index of titles
Acute care nurse practitioner (ACNP)
Adult care nurse practitioner
Advanced nurse practitioner
Advanced practice nurse
Anesthesia nurse practitioner
Cardiovascular nurse practitioner
Extended class registered nurse
Geriatric nurse practitioner
Nurse practitioner
Pediatric nurse practitioner
Primary health care nurse practitioner (PHCNP)
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
Examine patients and take their medical histories and consult with physicians and other medical practitioners to evaluate patients' physical and mental health
Order laboratory tests, X-rays and other diagnostic procedures
Inoculate and vaccinate patients
Advise patients and their families on health care including health promotion, disease, illness and accident prevention
Collaborate with members of an interdisciplinary health team such as family physicians, therapists and nutritionists to plan, implement, coordinate and evaluate patient care in consultation with patients and their families
Perform a patient advocacy role
Prescribe and administer medications
May co-ordinate or manage primary patient care.
Employment requirements
Nurse practitioners usually require a master's degree in nursing; or completion of a nursing program with additional advanced or extended primary health care nursing education; and several years of practice as a registered nurse.
Registration with a regulatory body is required for nurse practitioners in all provinces and territories.
Additional information
There is little to no mobility between nurse practitioner specializations without further training.
Exclusions
General practitioners and family physicians (31102)
Managers in health care (30010)
Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals (31303)
Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating (31209)
Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses (31301)
Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine (31100)
Specialists in surgery (31101)
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