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Nurse practitioners

OaSIS code 31302.00

Nurse practitioners are registered nurses with additional education, advanced knowledge and nursing experience, and a specialty of practice. They provide a range of health services to patients and deliver preventive and continuous care toward the management of patients' health. Nurse practitioners work in conjunction with physicians and collaboratively with other nursing colleagues and health-care providers, or they may work independently. Nurse practitioners may specialize in primary healthcare or acute care.

Overview

Also known as

  • Advanced practice nurse
  • Extended class registered nurse
  • Nurse practitioner

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Examine patients and take their medical histories and consult with physicians and other medical practitioners to evaluate patients' physical and mental health
  • Order laboratory tests, X-rays and other diagnostic procedures
  • Inoculate and vaccinate patients
  • Advise patients and their families on health care including health promotion, disease, illness and accident prevention
  • Collaborate with members of an interdisciplinary health team such as family physicians, therapists and nutritionists to plan, implement, coordinate and evaluate patient care in consultation with patients and their families
  • Perform a patient advocacy role
  • Prescribe and administer medications
  • May co-ordinate or manage primary patient care.

Additional information

  • There is little to no mobility between nurse practitioner specializations without further training.

Similar occupations classified elsewhere

Exclusions:

  • Managers in health care (30010)
  • Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine (31100)
  • Specialists in surgery (31101)
  • General practitioners and family physicians (31102)
  • Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating (31209)
  • Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses (31301)
  • Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals (31303)

NOC hierarchy breakdown

NOC version

NOC 2021 Version 1.0

Broad occupational category

3 – Health occupations

TEER

1 – Occupations usually require a university degree

Major group

31 – Professional occupations in health

Sub-major group

313 – Nursing and allied health professionals

Minor group

3130 – Nursing and allied health professionals

Unit group

31302 – Nurse practitioners

Occupational profile

31302.00 – Nurse practitioners

Work characteristics

Work characteristics gathers the various components describing the work environment of each occupation, such as employers, work activities, and the work context. Each category displays up to 10 descriptors in descending order based, firstly, on their attributed ratings by the level of complexity (for Work Activities) or other measurement dimensions (for Work Context), and secondly, in alphabetical order. The whole list of descriptors and their ratings can be expanded at the bottom of each page.

Work Activities

Proficiency or complexity level
Applying New Knowledge
5 - Highest Level
Assisting and Caring for Others
5 - Highest Level
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
5 - Highest Level
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
5 - Highest Level
Analyzing Data or Information
4 - High Level

Work Context

Structural Job Characteristics

Structured versus Unstructured Work
Degree of freedom to determine tasks and priorities
3 - Moderate amount of freedom
Work Week Duration
Worked hours in a typical week
3 - More than 40 hours

Physical Work Environment

Physical Proximity
Physical distance from others
5 - Physically touching or very close

Physical Demands

Sitting
Duration
3 - About half the time
Standing
Duration
3 - About half the time
Bending or Twisting the Body
Duration
2 - Less than half the time

Interpersonal Relations

Contact with Others
Frequency
5 - Every day, almost continuously
Duration
5 - All the time, or almost all the time
Work with Work Group or Team
Importance
5 - Extremely important
Frequency
5 - Every day, almost continuously

Workplaces/employers

  • Clinics
  • Community health centres
  • Hospitals
  • Rehabilitation centres

Skills and abilities

This section displays the various competencies required for an occupation. Each category displays up to 10 descriptors in descending order based, firstly, on their attributed ratings by the level of proficiency (for Skills and Abilities) or importance (for Personal Attributes) and secondly, in alphabetical order. The whole list of descriptors and their ratings can be expanded at the bottom of each page.

Abilities

Proficiency or complexity level
Problem Identification
5 - Highest Level
Deductive Reasoning
4 - High Level
Inductive Reasoning
4 - High Level
Information Ordering
4 - High Level
Memorizing
4 - High Level

Skills

Proficiency or complexity level
Social Perceptiveness
5 - Highest Level
Coordinating
4 - High Level
Critical Thinking
4 - High Level
Decision Making
4 - High Level
Instructing
4 - High Level

Personal Attributes

Importance
Analytical Thinking
5 - Extremely important
Attention to Detail
5 - Extremely important
Collaboration
5 - Extremely important
Concern for Others
5 - Extremely important
Service Orientation
5 - Extremely important