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Nurse Practitioners Occupation Detailed Description

Nurse Practitioners career

General Job Description and Education/Training Levels for Nurse Practitioners

The main tasks and work activities of Nurse Practitioners are to train patients, family members, or caregivers in techniques for managing disabilities or illnesses, schedule patient procedures or appointments, advise patients on effects of health conditions or treatments, operate diagnostic imaging equipment. In general, for the Nurse Practitioners, active Learning, critical Thinking, speaking, active Listening and other 17 skills are required.
Nurse Practitioners Job Description
EducationMost of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Related ExperienceExtensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Job TrainingEmployees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
ExampleThese occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include pharmacists, lawyers, astronomers, biologists, clergy, neurologists, and veterinarians.
The following chart shows the education/training levels for Nurse Practitioners jobs.
Less than a High School Diploma
0.00%
High School Diploma (or the equivalent)
0.00%
Post-Secondary Certificate
0.00%
Some College Courses
0.00%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
0.00%
Bachelor's Degree and Above
100.00%

Tasks and Work Activities of Nurse Practitioners

  • Educate patients about self-management of acute or chronic illnesses, tailoring instructions to patients' individual circumstances.
  • Schedule follow-up visits to monitor patients or evaluate health or illness care.
  • Counsel patients about drug regimens and possible side effects or interactions with other substances, such as food supplements, over-the-counter (OTC) medications, or herbal remedies.
  • Order, perform, or interpret the results of diagnostic tests, such as complete blood counts (CBCs), electrocardiograms (EKGs), and radiographs (x-rays).
  • Analyze and interpret patients' histories, symptoms, physical findings, or diagnostic information to develop appropriate diagnoses.
  • Diagnose or treat acute health care problems, such as illnesses, infections, or injuries.
  • Diagnose or treat chronic health care problems, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
  • Diagnose or treat complex, unstable, comorbid, episodic, or emergency conditions in collaboration with other health care providers as necessary.
  • Treat or refer patients for primary care conditions, such as headaches, hypertension, urinary tract infections, upper respiratory infections, and dermatological conditions.
  • Consult with, or refer patients to, appropriate specialists when conditions exceed the scope of practice or expertise.
  • Detect and respond to adverse drug reactions, with special attention to vulnerable populations such as infants, children, pregnant and lactating women, or older adults.
  • Develop treatment plans, based on scientific rationale, standards of care, and professional practice guidelines.
  • Perform primary care procedures such as suturing, splinting, administering immunizations, taking cultures, and debriding wounds.
  • Perform routine or annual physical examinations.
  • Prescribe medications based on efficacy, safety, and cost as legally authorized.
  • Provide patients with information needed to promote health, reduce risk factors, or prevent disease or disability.
  • Recommend diagnostic or therapeutic interventions with attention to safety, cost, invasiveness, simplicity, acceptability, adherence, and efficacy.
  • Recommend interventions to modify behavior associated with health risks.
  • Prescribe medication dosages, routes, and frequencies, based on such patient characteristics as age and gender.
  • Advocate for accessible health care that minimizes environmental health risks.
  • Assisting and Caring for OthersProviding personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
  • Getting InformationObserving, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Documenting/Recording InformationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Updating and Using Relevant KnowledgeKeeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Making Decisions and Solving ProblemsAnalyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsDeveloping constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and EventsIdentifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesProviding information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Interacting With ComputersUsing computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for OthersTranslating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
  • Train patients, family members, or caregivers in techniques for managing disabilities or illnesses.
  • Schedule patient procedures or appointments.
  • Advise patients on effects of health conditions or treatments.
  • Operate diagnostic imaging equipment.
  • Analyze test data or images to inform diagnosis or treatment.
  • Order medical diagnostic or clinical tests.
  • Treat acute illnesses, infections, or injuries.
  • Diagnose medical conditions.
  • Treat chronic diseases or disorders.
  • Treat medical emergencies.
  • Refer patients to other healthcare practitioners or health resources.
  • Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
  • Monitor patient conditions during treatments, procedures, or activities.
  • Develop medical treatment plans.
  • Apply bandages, dressings, or splints.
  • Immunize patients.
  • Examine patients to assess general physical condition.
  • Prescribe medications.
  • Communicate detailed medical information to patients or family members.
  • Prescribe treatments or therapies.

Skills and Abilities for Nurse Practitioners

  • Active LearningUnderstanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Critical ThinkingUsing logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • SpeakingTalking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Active ListeningGiving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Reading ComprehensionUnderstanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Social PerceptivenessBeing aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Complex Problem SolvingIdentifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • Judgment and Decision MakingConsidering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • ScienceUsing scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
  • Service OrientationActively looking for ways to help people.
  • MonitoringMonitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • WritingCommunicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • CoordinationAdjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • InstructingTeaching others how to do something.
  • Time ManagementManaging one's own time and the time of others.
  • PersuasionPersuading others to change their minds or behavior.
  • Systems EvaluationIdentifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
  • Learning StrategiesSelecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
  • NegotiationBringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
  • Systems AnalysisDetermining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
  • Oral ComprehensionThe ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Problem SensitivityThe ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Oral ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Written ComprehensionThe ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Inductive ReasoningThe ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Deductive ReasoningThe ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Written ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Speech ClarityThe ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Speech RecognitionThe ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Near VisionThe ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Information OrderingThe ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Category FlexibilityThe ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • Fluency of IdeasThe ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
  • Perceptual SpeedThe ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
  • Flexibility of ClosureThe ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
  • Speed of ClosureThe ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
  • Finger DexterityThe ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
  • Arm-Hand SteadinessThe ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
  • OriginalityThe ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
  • MemorizationThe ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
  • Diagnostic or interventional vascular catheters or setse.g. Angiocaths
  • Apnea monitors or accessoriese.g. Apnea monitors
  • Surgical lasers or accessoriese.g. Argon lasers
  • Arterial blood gas monitors or accessoriese.g. Arterial blood gas monitoring equipment
  • Arterial line catheterse.g. Arterial line catheters
  • Automated external defibrillators AED or hard paddlese.g. Automated external defibrillators AED
  • Back or lumbar or sacral orthopedic softgoodse.g. Back braces
  • Non invasive bi level machinese.g. Bilevel positive airway pressure BiPAP ventilators
  • Binocular light compound microscopese.g. Binocular light compound microscopes
  • Surgical punches or punch holder or accessoriese.g. Biopsy punches
  • Blood collection syringese.g. Blood drawing syringes
  • Surgical lasers or accessoriese.g. Carbon dioxide CO2 lasers
  • Cardiac output CO monitoring units or accessoriese.g. Cardiac monitors
  • Cardiopulmonary resuscitation CPR protective shields or maskse.g. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation CPR face shields
  • Chest tubee.g. Chest tubes
  • Emergency or resuscitation cartse.g. Crash carts
  • Crutches or crutch accessoriese.g. Crutches
  • Medical tuning forkse.g. Diagnostic tuning forks
  • Electronic medical thermometerse.g. Digital medical thermometers
  • Cardiac ultrasound or doppler or echo units or cardioscopese.g. Doppler ultrasound equipment
  • Medicine and DentistryKnowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
  • PsychologyKnowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  • Customer and Personal ServiceKnowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • English LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Therapy and CounselingKnowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
  • BiologyKnowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
  • Education and TrainingKnowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Sociology and AnthropologyKnowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
  • MathematicsKnowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • Computers and ElectronicsKnowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • ChemistryKnowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
  • Law and GovernmentKnowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
  • Philosophy and TheologyKnowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
  • Public Safety and SecurityKnowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
  • ClericalKnowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
  • Communications and MediaKnowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.