Nurse Practitioner
What is a Nurse Practitioner?
A nurse practitioner is a registered nurse educated and authorised to function autonomously and collaboratively in an advanced and extended clinical role.
The nurse practitioner role includes assessment and management of clients using nursing knowledge and skills and may Include but is not limited to the direct referral of patients to other health care professionals, prescribing medications and ordering diagnostic investigations.
The nurse practitioner role is grounded in the nursing profession’s values, knowledge, theories and practice and provides innovative and flexible health care delivery that complements other health care providers. The scope of practice of the nurse practitioner is determined by the context in which the nurse practitioner is authorised to practise (Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2006).
Associations
Competency Standards for the Nurse Practitioner
Designated Sites and clinical guidelines / protocols
- Designated Nurse Practitioner Sites as at 1 May 2009
- Guide to the development of clinical guidelines for nurse practitioners (PDF 213KB)
- Template for the development of clinical guidelines for nurse practitioners (PDF 94KB)
- The AGREE Collaboration. Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) Instrument (external site)
- Resources for the Development of Clinical Protocols (PDF 165KB)
Designation Resources
- Guiding Framework [PDF / 1.55MB] [Under review]
- Business Case [PDF / 609KB] [Under review]
- Application for Designation [PDF / 66KB]
- Evaluation of Service [Under development]
Information Sheets
- Number 1 – Motor Vehicle Insurance Trust and Workers Compensation [PDF / 108KB]
- Number 2 – Medical Certificates [PDF / 87KB]
N3ET - National Nursing & Nursing Education Taskforce
- Pathways Interim Report [PDF / 675KB]
- National Nurse Prescribing Glossary [PDF / 475KB]
- Nurse Practitioner Myth Busters [PDF / 340KB]
Nurse and Midwives Board of Western Australia
- Nurse Practitioner Information and Application Guide [PDF / 2.3MB]
- Professional Standards for Nurse Practitioners [PDF / 32KB]
Nurse Practitioner Series – Journal
Presentation
Prescribing medication
Nurse practitioners now have prescribing rights. This improves the quality of services to clients while maintaining client safety. Ongoing education is available to ensure standards are maintained.
- More information about the Quality Use of Medicines for Nurse Practitioners program (external website)
Scholarships
Nurses and midwives employed in the Western Australian public health sector, enrolled or planning to enrol in the Master in Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) at a Western Australian University are eligible for a Department of Health scholarship.
Legislation
- Nurses and Midwives Act 2006 (external website)
- Nurses and Midwives Regulations 2007 (external website)
- Nurse Practitioner Code of Practice 2004 (external website)
- Poisons Act 1964 (external website)
Websites of Australian Chief Nursing Officers
- Australian Capital Territory
- New South Wales
- Northern Territory
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Tasmania
- Victoria
Educational Institutions in Western Australia offering Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner)
Curtin University of Technology
Edith Cowan University
File Formats
Some documents for download on this website are in a Portable Document Format (PDF). To read these files you might need to download Adobe® Acrobat Reader.