Nurse Practitioner
What's it like to be a Nurse Practitioner?
Nurse Practitioners are Registered Nurses with a masters degree who have been endorsed by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) to provide advanced, clinical care to patients. While Registered Nurses typically work in a team with physicians, Nurse Practitioners can work independently as a primary health care provider or may specialise in a variety of areas, such as women's health, acute care or paediatrics. While both positions help care for patients, Nurse Practitioners can perform additional medical procedures and duties, such as prescribing medication. Nurse Practitioners often work in rural and remote areas, where demand for health services is high due to gaps in existing health care.
Tasks and duties
- Providing high quality health care.
- Performing advanced health assessments.
- Ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests such as x-rays.
- Diagnosing health problems.
- Managing patients’ overall care.
- Prescribing medications.
- Making and receiving referrals to and from other health professionals.
What can I earn as a Nurse Practitioner?
Find out the average salary for a Nurse Practitioner across Australia
Latest Nurse Practitioner jobs on SEEK
How to become a Nurse Practitioner
- Complete a Bachelor of Nursing then apply to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia to become a Registered Nurse.
- Gain experience as a Registered Nurse before commencing work within a specialty area of clinical practice.
- Complete an accredited postgraduate degree, such as a graduate certificate, in a clinical field of your choice.
- Gain experience in an advanced clinical nursing role in your chosen speciality area.
- Complete an accredited masters degree, such as a Master of Nurse Practitioner.
- Gain at least 3 years of full-time advanced nursing experience.
- Apply for endorsement as a Nurse Practitioner with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.
Explore related qualifications
SEEK users who have worked as a Nurse Practitioner have studied these qualifications.
Master of Nursing (Graduate Entry)
This qualification provides a pathway into a role as a Registered Nurse if you already hold a Bachelor degree in another discipline.
Bachelor of Nursing
Bachelor of Science
Develop broad skills in science to prepare for opportunities in a range of industries with this qualification.