Nurse Practitioner
What the work is
Provides advanced and extended nursing care to people as authorised in relevant nursing legislation, in a range of health, welfare and community settings.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Assesses and diagnoses people's health conditions and needs
- Orders and interprets diagnostic tests and investigations
- Prescribes and administers medications and treatments independently, within the scope of nursing practice
- Develops and implements patient care plans and management strategies
- Provides education and guidance to people and their families on health promotion, disease prevention and self-care
- Refers patients to specialist Medical Practitioners and other Health Professionals for further assessment and treatment
- Evaluates and monitors peoples' responses to treatments and interventions
- Maintains accurate and up-to-date patient records and documentation
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a busy medical ward at a fictional regional hospital. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A patient who was frightened at breakfast goes home understanding their care
- You spot a small change early, speak up and the team acts on it
- A shift where the team backs each other and everyone gets a break
Hard days
- More patients need you at once than you can reach, and you have to prioritise
- A family is upset, and you are the person standing in front of them
- Night shifts, weekends and paperwork still waiting at the end of a long day
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 265431, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.