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NOC 2021 Version 1.0

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31302 – Nurse practitioners

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. They are employed in community health centres, hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, and rehabilitation centres. Nurse practitioners may specialize in primary healthcare or acute care.

Profile

Example titles

  • 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.

Employment requirements

  • Nurse practitioners usually require a master's degree in nursing; or completion of a nursing program with additional advanced or extended primary health care nursing education; and several years of practice as a registered nurse.
  • Registration with a regulatory body is required for nurse practitioners in all provinces and territories.

Additional information

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

Exclusions

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

Breakdown summary

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
Version
NOC 2021 Version 1.0
Date modified: