Nurse practitioners are registered nurses who work at an advanced practice level
Nurse practitioners (NPs) work to improve health outcomes. Their role is based on patient and population needs and was developed in response to the increase in nursing specialisation and the need to address inequalities in healthcare access.
NPs value clinical nursing and provide an exciting addition to the clinical career paths for the nursing profession.
Extensive national and international studies show that NPs increase health care access and cost effectiveness. Research also indicates that patients accept the NP role and see it as a safe and effective part of their healthcare.
NPs have:
- expert clinical knowledge
- advanced specialised education
- complex decision-making skills
- clinical reasoning and diagnostic skills
- the ability to initiate and evaluate therapeutic management plans
National and international studies show that NPs increase health care access and cost effectiveness. Research also indicates that patients accept the NP role and see it as a safe and effective part of their healthcare.
The
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) defines the NP role as being 'grounded in the nursing profession's values, knowledge, theories and practise and provides innovative and flexible health care delivery that compliments other health care providers.'
To become a nurse practitioner, a registered nurse must meet the requirements of the
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) before they can be endorsed.
You can find guidelines and resources regarding NP endorsement on
NMBA - Guidelines: For nurses applying for endorsement as a nurse practitioner.
Further NSW Health resources
NSW Health templates for nurse practitioners
To download these templates please right click and select save link as.
External resources
Contact us
For additional information contact Principal Advisor Matthew Lutze via email at Matthew.Lutze@health.nsw.gov.au or call the Nursing and Midwifery Office on (02) 9461 7213.
