It is widely known what a nurse does, but do you know the difference between their function and practitioners?
While both share similar titles, a practitioner provides a more clinical level of services and are professional leaders in the health industry.
Typically, they are the highest level of nurses in Australia and have a range of skills, qualifications and accreditations that make them invaluable parts of the health service. Their work involves direct service delivery to those who need it based on advanced levels of training, clinical expertise and skills that can be applied to specialist services.
Nurse practitioners work in the same environments as traditional roles. These settings include hospitals, aged-care services, community and home-based services across public and private health sectors.
They also work in emergency wards, mental health facilities, in palliative care, oncology, neonatal and paediatrics, as well as assisting those with chronic disease conditions.
As technology advances and medical fields expand, there are new opportunities and roles for these professionals opening up every day. Ultimately, they help to reduce backlogs in the health system by providing services that both nurses and doctors usually provide.
What a nursing practitioner can do
The ability to diagnose and treat health conditions
As the most senior clinical role, nurse practitioners are involved in the diagnosis and treatment of patients across all health services.
While they will often work alongside other health professionals and doctors, they are also able to operate independently and assess, diagnose, treat and manage a wide range of illnesses and conditions.
They can operate on behalf of medical practitioners and doctors to help alleviate the workload in clinical settings. Where needed, they also ensure more patients are attended to in hospitals, aged care centres, other health services and even in their own home.
Ordering and interpreting blood and radiology tests
Nurse practitioners are qualified and able to order and interpret blood and radiology tests to provide a vital level of service that regular roles usually don’t. This also frees up doctors to attend to other duties, providing a vital level of service to help speed up diagnosis and treatment of patients.
They can prescribe medications
Nurse practitioners can prescribe a range of medications, including those under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).
They need to be endorsed under their individual state or territory legislation and there are certain medications they cannot prescribe, but this provides an essential service that means patients don’t have to wait to see their doctor or GP in many cases.
Are nurse practitioners the same as a doctor or a GP?
No. While they have extended skill sets and are the highest level of a clinical nurse, they are not a replacement for general practitioners.
They generally have a specialist field or focus on a specific population demographic and have their own role in the health system. Overall, they’re an essential cog in the system and can provide a range of roles to help patients through the entire medical journey.