It is well recognised that the nature of the Nurse Practitioners role within South Australia is an exciting new initiative within the nursing workforce and profession.

Nurse Practitioners may be described as having the following integrated defining features such as clinical leaders, educator, mentor, provider, manager and researcher. The core role is autonomous, extended practice; highly developed clinical knowledge and skills; provides pragmatic and purposeful interventions that benefit a specific client group; as well as vision; clinical and professional leadership; advocate for client base and nursing profession at a system level of health care.

Nurse Practitioners work collaboratively with health professionals to provide advanced and extended care to individuals, families, groups and/or communities. They enhance existing services and/or provide a service where none may exist.

The Nurse Practitioner’s role extends beyond the usual scope of nursing practice. The skills and practices often associated with a Nurse Practitioner are:

• advanced clinical assessment;
• interpretation of diagnostic tests including diagnostic imaging;
• implementing and monitoring therapeutic regimes;
• prescribing pharmacological interventions; and
• initiating and receiving appropriate referrals.

To become a Nurse Practitioner, a nurse must have relevant qualifications and have demonstrated a high level of competence in their area of practice. Nurse Practitioners’ positions may be within acute care, primary health care and/or community settings within a specific scope of practice.

The courses available in South Australia are the Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner), Flinders University and the Master of Nursing Science (Nurse Practitioner), University of South Australia. Other post graduate programs including Masters of Nurse Practitioners are offered at University of Adelaide and stand alone subjects such as Pharmacology for Advanced Practice and Advanced Health Assessment and Nursing Diagnostics are offered at University of South Australia.

Click here to learn more about the National Aged Care Nurse Practitioner Trial.

Other Requirements

• The Nurse Practitioner must meet the guidelines for endorsement as a Nurse Practitioner as outlined in the Endorsement Nurse Practitioners Registration Standard.
• The Nurse Practitioner is responsible for their own continuing professional development to ensure ongoing competence to practice.

Definitions

A Nurse Practitioner is a registered nurse educated and authorised to function autonomously and collaboratively in an advanced and extended clinical role. The nurse practitioner role includes assessment and management of clients using nursing knowledge and skills and may include, but is not limited to, the direct referral of patients to other health care professionals, prescribing medications and ordering diagnostic investigations. The nurse practitioner role is grounded in the nursing profession's values, knowledge, theories and practise and provides innovative and flexible health care delivery that complements other health care providers. The scope of practice of the nurse practitioner is determined by the context in which the nurse practitioner is authorised to practice. (ANMC 2006)

A Nurse Practitioner Candidate is a nurse employed in a designated position within the health sector working towards Nurse Practitioner endorsement with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. The duration of candidacy to be determined at a local level.

Frequently Asked Questions - Nurse Practitioners, their Role and Scope of Practice

Frequently Asked Questions was designed to challenge commonly held assumptions, increase awareness and understanding of some of the Nurse Practitioner issues within the South Australian context by providing facts about their role and scope of practice.
Frequently Asked Questions - Fact Sheet 1 (187 KB)
Frequently Asked Questions - Fact Sheet 2 (197 KB)
Frequently Asked Questions - PBS- MBS Fact Sheet 3 (176 KB)

Nurse Practitioner Pathway for Prescibing and Amendment of Formulary

Nurse Practitioners endorsed by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) are able to prescribe medications. Nurse Practitioners are required to submit their prescribing formulary for approval to their Local Health Service - Nurse Practtioner Prescribing Formulary Sub-Committee. The Nurse Practitioner Pathway for Prescibing and Amendment Flow Chart outlines the process which is required to gain approval for the Prescribing Formulary.

Nurse Practitioner Scholarship and Support Scheme

The State Government is committed to building a valued and sustainable nursing and midwifery workforce. The SA Health Nurse Practitioner Scholarship and Support Scheme is a Government initiative aimed at assisting nurses to further their career.

The Scholarships are available for Registered Nurses currently enrolled or intend to enrol in a master’s degree, approved by the NMBA for endorsement as a Nurse Practitioner, at an Australian tertiary institution. People of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin are encouraged to apply.

Applications will be prioritised in accordance to SA Health’s Reform Agenda outlining the following areas – Palliative Care, Aged Care, Emergency Departments and Cancer Services. Other applications will be considered on merit and taking into consideration service planning priorities e.g. Allergy, Prison Health Care, Primary Health Care and Mental Health.

Funding will be available for students for course fees associated with undertaking studies (i.e. prescribed text books; for rural students: travel, accommodation and clinical placements (if required); and for grant funded organisations: clinical placements (if required)).

2nd round applications are now closed and further rounds to be advised.

Nurse Practitioner Scholarship and Support Scheme FAQ Fact Sheet 1

This fact sheet will provide answers to those questions around what the Scholarship Scheme offers in terms of financial support and how to apply for reimbursement of course fees, and associated study costs. To support FAQ Fact Sheet 1 additional FAQ Fact Sheets will be published soon.
Frequently Asked Questions - Fact Sheet 1

Nurse Practitioners Review Report

The Nurse Practitioners in South Australia: Report for the review of processes for the implementation of the role (Aug 2009)

In late 2008, SA Health conducted a review of the processes for implementation of Nurse Practitioners since the introduction of the role in South Australia. The review’s methodology was a three-prong approach, being:

• Focus groups and face to face interviews with relevant stakeholders
• Literature review
• Surveys of Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Practitioner Candidates

This report makes recommendations to address the barriers that have arisen in relation to the implementation of Nurse Practitioner roles. These recommendations address the following areas:

• Strategic clinical services planning
• Regulatory requirements for authorisation
• Policy and regulatory requirements for prescribing and diagnostics

It also reports that Nurse Practitioners play a vital role in health services, bring about positive health outcomes for consumers and heighten consumer satisfaction.  The review team found strong evidence of strategic support for the implementation of the Nurse Practitioner role in South Australia.
Nurse Practitioner Review Report, August 2009 (110 MB)

Nurse Practitioner Toolkit - Implementation of the Role

This toolkit is designed as an interactive document to support and guide the implementation of nurse practitioner positions within South Australian health services. The toolkit provides a framework for guidance to all key stakeholders and considers the multiple facets of role implementation. It indicates a targeted response to the review report commissioned in 2009 to examine the implementation of NP services in South Australia and addresses those recommendations related principally to strategic clinical service planning.

The toolkit aims to promote effective and sustainable nurse practitioner role implementation within the collaborative practice framework of the multidisciplinary team
Nurse Practitioner Toolkit (2010) (980 KB)
Checklist Stages & Actions (14 KB)
Generic Business Case Template (14 KB)
NP Role -Implementation Support Group TOR (241 KB)

The formatted Nurse Practitioner brochure is to assist with the design and development of a brochure to provide infromation to the community about the role and related service.
NP Service Brochure Template (379 KB)

Generic 'Nurse Practitioner Job & Person Specificatio' Template

The generic 'Nurse Practitioner Job Description and Person Specification' template has been developed to be used as a guide only for a Nurse Practitioner Position.
Generic Nurse Practitioner Job& Person Specifications template (121KB)

For further information contact

For any further information, visit the Australian College of Nurse Practitioners or contact the Nursing and Midwifery Office on (08) 8226 0749 or by e-mail.