What can a nurse practitioner do?
A nurse practitioner’s scope of practice in Australia
What is a nurse practitioner?
A nurse practitioner (NP) is a registered nurse with master’s-level training and years of advanced clinical experience, endorsed by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia to practise at an advanced level. Nurse practitioners can assess and diagnose health conditions, prescribe medicines, order tests and refer you to specialists.
How does someone become a nurse practitioner in Australia?
To be endorsed as a nurse practitioner, a nurse must:
- hold current general registration as a registered nurse with AHPRA
- complete a nurse practitioner program approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, at master’s level
- have the equivalent of three years’ full-time (5,000 hours) advanced clinical nursing practice within the past six years
- meet the Board’s Nurse Practitioner Standards for Practice.
The endorsement is shown on the public register, so you can check it yourself (see below).
What can a nurse practitioner do for you?
Within their scope of practice, and in line with state and territory laws, a nurse practitioner can:
- assess your symptoms and diagnose common and ongoing health conditions
- prescribe medicines
- order and interpret pathology tests and imaging
- refer you to specialists and other health professionals
- provide certificates for sick leave when clinically appropriate
- give ongoing care and health advice, and tell you when you need to be seen in person.
Nurse practitioners and doctors at My Telehealth Clinic
At My Telehealth Clinic, consultations and medical certificates are provided by AHPRA-registered nurse practitioners and doctors. Every clinician works within their scope of practice, and if you need care that can’t be provided safely by telehealth, they’ll tell you and recommend where to go.
How to check a clinician’s registration
Anyone can check a health practitioner’s registration on the AHPRA public register at ahpra.gov.au. Search by name: the register shows their profession, any endorsements (such as nurse practitioner), and any conditions on their registration.
Clinical leadership
Assoc. Prof. Christopher O’Donnell, Nurse Practitioner, FACN (AHPRA NMW0001453715)
Christopher is a nurse practitioner and the founder of My Digital Health, the group that runs My Telehealth Clinic. He leads the group as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Clinical Officer, accountable for clinical safety, prescribing standards and clinical-team performance. He holds nurse practitioner master’s degrees from the University of Portsmouth and the Queensland University of Technology, and is a Fellow of the Australian College of Nursing.
Sources: Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, Registration standard: Endorsement as a nurse practitioner, and Nurse practitioner standards for practice; AHPRA public register of practitioners.