New Zealand nurse practitioners - L'Infirmière Magazine n° 286 du 01/10/2011 | Espace Infirmier
 

L'infirmière Magazine n° 286 du 01/10/2011

 

ANGLAIS

New Zealand’s health sector is creating a flexible workforce by investing in nurse practitioners (NPs).

New roles are being created in specific areas of practice, or « scopes », for these advanced nurses who are trained to masters level and have at least five years’ speciality clinical experience.

NPs exist in over 40 countries, including the US, where they have practised for over 20 years(1). NZ introduced the role in 2001. The 95 NPs currently registered and practising in NZ are employed especially in primary and older adult healthcare. Other scopes include cardiology, mental, neonatal, youth and family health.

Pioneer NP Adrianne Murray is offering primary health care to remote northern rural communities with high Maori populations and a shortage of doctors.

Capitalising on her knowledge of her patients and their needs, her mobile service reaches patients who previously had little primary care. Unlike a regular nurse, she is trained and qualified to diagnose ; to prescribe and manage medications and to order and interpret laboratory tests and X-rays.

Adrianne acknowledges(2) that challenging and changing traditional roles can be uncomfortable for patients and providers. Employers must create new models of funding, authorisation and access to technology. Patients need to get used to nurses performing « doctor’s » tasks and health workers may need to adapt their previous roles to accommodate new co-workers.

1– See US nurse practitioners website : www.aanp.org

2– See video : www.nursepractitioner.org.nz

MOTS ET EXPRESSIONS

Scope (n) Champ défini

Five years’ experience

The experience of five years

Speciality (n)

Secteur spécialisé, spécifique (US : specialty)

Primary (health) care

Soins de santé primaires

To capitalise on (v)

Capitaliser sur ; mettre à profit

QUESTIONS

1. What is the minimum requirement for a nurse practitioner ?

A master’s degree plus five years of experience in a clinical speciality.

2. What scopes are most NPs currently practising in ?

In primary healthcare, and older adult (geriatric) healthcare.

3. What difficulties may NPs face ?

From patients : expectations about doctors’ tasks/nurses’ tasks ; from co-workers : the need to adapt existing roles ; from employers : the difficulty of changing existing infrastructures.

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