Nurse Practitioner’s (NP’s) are Registered Nurses who hold additional endorsement as a NP with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority (AHPRA) and are focused on improving access to treatment and providing high quality cost-effective care. NP’s are highly specialised nurses in their field of expertise and possess the legal authority to practice both independently and autonomously at a level of practice that is beyond that of a Registered Nurse.
Educated at Masters level and found throughout Australia, NP’s work as key health care providers in regional, remote, and metropolitan areas. Their scope of practice (SoP) within their specific field of expertise allows them to perform advanced assessments, order and interpret diagnostic tests, diagnose relevant conditions, initiate referrals to healthcare providers, prescribe medications, initiate interventions and collaborate with other healthcare professionals to provide holistic care to patients.
Nurse Practitioners have practiced in Australia for over 21 years and are integral to health care systems all over the world including the UK, Canada and the USA. They provide a much-needed solution to the gap in service delivery where access to other professionals may be limited by availability, finances or location, or where severity or complexity of the issue does not specifically warrant medical specialist intervention.
They also provide client rebates through Medicare and can provide prescriptions via access to PBS. Nurse Practitioners are not medical doctors, and there are limitations to their practice, however, typically are able to work autonomously yet collaboratively with other health care professionals.
