Nurse Practitioners in Western Australia (WA)

Nurse practitioners are advanced practice nurses who are legislatively authorised to undertake diagnostic assessment, treat, prescribe and refer patients within their approved scope of practice.

They are educated to a master’s level and are endorsed by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) to provide patient care in an autonomous and extended clinical role. The title ‘Nurse Practitioner’ is protected by National Law and may only be used by an advanced practice nurse who has met the requirements for endorsement as specified by the NMBA.

In WA, the first nurse practitioner was registered to practice in 2004 following legislative, regulatory and clinical practice change. The role emerged in response to the increased specialisation, expertise and educational preparation of registered nurses, and to address the need for transformational healthcare reform. Working over vast geographical distances and diverse healthcare settings and sectors, nurse practitioners are key members of the interdisciplinary healthcare team.

The CNMO is committed to leading nurse practitioner workforce reform in WA, and to achieve WA Health’s vision to deliver safe, high-quality and sustainable health care to all Western Australians.

The role of a nurse practitioner

A nurse practitioner provides a clinically focused service, with an extended scope of practice that includes patient assessment and autonomous decision-making encompassing diagnosis, treatment, provision of interventions, referral and discharge as required – all within their approved scope of practice.

The NMBA: Nurse practitioner standards for practice, 2021 (external website) outlines the expectations, responsibilities and accountabilities for nurse practitioners. This ensures the provision of safe, high-quality care and enables nurse practitioners to autonomously complete entire episodes of care.

The clinical and academic education undertaken by a nurse practitioner prepares them to expand their scope of nursing practice to encompass the domains of clinical practice, research, education, and leadership. Scope of practice is determined by the context in which the nurse practitioner is authorised to practise.

Within their scope of practice nurse practitioners:

  • perform health assessments
  • order and interpret diagnostic investigations
  • diagnose and treat a variety of health problems or conditions
  • prescribe and deprescribe medications
  • initiate and receive appropriate referrals from healthcare professionals.

Nurse practitioners are skilled and valuable members of the healthcare team and collaborate with other nurses and healthcare professionals to provide flexible and responsive health services. They work in a variety of health care settings including acute care, public and private hospitals, community health settings, aged care, general medical practices and private practice.

Become a nurse practitioner

To become a nurse practitioner, you will need to undertake an NMBA-approved program of study at a masters’ level. Many universities throughout Australia offer appropriate study pathways. Edith Cowan University is currently the only education provider in Western Australia offering a Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner).

For more information visit Edith Cowan University School of Nursing and Midwifery (external site).
Scholarships

The WA Chief Nursing and Midwifery Office (CNMO) offer a range of scholarship opportunities for advance practice nurses to progress their careers through post graduate studies.

Other scholarship opportunities:

Endorsement

To practise in Western Australia, a nurse practitioner must hold endorsement with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA).

The following must be demonstrated to the NMBA to achieve nurse practitioner endorsement on completion of study;

  1. Current general registration as a RN in Australia with no conditions or undertakings relating to unsatisfactory professional performance or unprofessional conduct.
  2. The equivalent of three years’ full-time experience (5,000 hours) at the clinical APN level, within the past 6 years, from the date when the complete application seeking endorsement as a nurse practitioner is received by the NMBA.
  3. Successful completion of:
  • an NMBA-approved program of study leading to endorsement as a nurse practitioner, or
  • a program that is substantially equivalent to an NMBA-approved program of study leading to endorsement as a nurse practitioner as determined by the NMBA.
  • Compliance with the NMBA’s Nurse Practitioner Standards for Practice.1

Endorsement is separate to gaining employment as a nurse practitioner. To find current nurse practitioner employment opportunities see WA Health Jobs Board (external site).

More information on the endorsement process can be obtained from the NMBA website (external site).

1. Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. (2021). Nurse Practitioner Standards for Practice. Melbourne, Australia.

Nurse Practitioner Workforce Project 2020-2030

A workforce scoping review undertaken by the WA CNMO in 2019, uncovered multifaceted and complex barriers to nurse practitioner practice and systemwide underutilisation, often with no clear rationale or consistency across jurisdictions. These issues resulted in a steady decline of nurse practitioner growth and poses a significant risk to the future of this workforce.

Endorsed in 2020, to address this issue the WA CNMO committed to leading a national, interjurisdictional 10-year Nurse Practitioner Workforce Innovation Project (the project) to drive workforce innovation that supports health system reform.

The project aims to target known barriers to nurse practitioner practice, and by strong alignment with the Sustainable Health Review (2019), the project aims to address community need by expanding a strategically driven and sustainable nurse practitioner workforce, enabled to work to the full scope of practice.

Stakeholder engagement and consultation

In 2021, the CNMO undertook significant stakeholder engagement and consultation which led to the development of the:

  • WA Nurse Practitioner Workforce Innovation Advisory Committee
  • National Nurse Practitioner Workforce Innovation Advisory Committee

Membership of the committees include clinical and academic nursing leaders, nurse practitioners, representatives of professional colleges, and consumer and carer representatives.

The committees provide statewide and national strategic advice, direction and leadership to the Nurse Practitioner Workforce Innovation Project (the project) and advocates for and supports the project to achieve its objectives.

Nurse Practitioner Workforce Innovation Strategy

The WA CNMO is committed to the objective of achieving equitable choice and access to high-value and sustainable healthcare for all Western Australians. The WA Nurse Practitioner Workforce Innovation Strategy, 2023-2028 (PDF 836KB) articulates a clear vision to build and strengthen a strategically driven workforce. It delivers a structured pathway enabling the nurse practitioner workforce to adapt and respond to the evolving healthcare environment, while adhering to this objective.

The strategy identifies four themes and objectives, underpinned by 14 key priorities, which describe the essential structural elements translating into specific strategic actions.

The strategy commits to the development of a shared vision and investment to achieve an integrated and sustainable nurse practitioner workforce which is optimised for the future.

Nurse Practitioner Candidacy and Integration (NPCI)

In 2020, the WA CNMO commissioned Edith Cowan University to undertake a scoping review of the literature to inform an evidence based nurse practitioner candidacy framework. The corresponding, Factors influencing the development and implementation of nurse practitioner candidacy programs: A scoping review (external site) was published in the International Journal of Nursing Studies, 2021 and provides the evidence that informs this document.

The WA Nurse Practitioner Candidacy and Integration (NPCI) (PDF 688KB) Framework has been developed to provide guidance on how to prepare for and establish a NPCI program for both Nurse Practitioner candidates undertaking their Master of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner), and newly endorsed Nurse Practitioners in their first 12-18 months of autonomous practice. The framework will assist health sectors identify specific clinical skills and competencies required by the candidate to meet the unique health care needs of the local population within which they are serving.

Nurse Practitioner Evaluation Tool

In 2020, the WA CNMO commissioned Edith Cowan University to undertake a scoping review of the literature to develop a framework for the evaluation of an advanced practice nursing or nurse practitioner model of care.

The CNMO adapted this evidence into a Nurse Practitioner Cost-Benefit Analysis Tool to undertake economic evaluation of nurse practitioner services.

In 2022 the CNMO partnered with the School of Business and School of Nursing at Murdoch University to validate the tool under research conditions.

Research has been extended to further investigate the cost-benefit of the NP workforce. The research is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.

Employment opportunities

Employment opportunities

 

More information

WA Chief Nursing and Midwifery Office

Email: nursingandmidwiferywa@health.wa.gov.au

Last reviewed: 27-06-2022
Produced by

Chief Nursing and Midwifery Office