Nurse Practitioner
California State Personnel Board Specification
Schematic Code: TJ91
Class Code: 8212
Established: 01/10/1979
Revised: --
Title Changed: --
Definition
Under direction, to plan, provide, and evaluate generalized health care services in a community health setting or health treatment facility; to provide direct and indirect patient care services; and to do other work as required.
Job Characteristics
The Nurse Practitioner works in collaboration with a physician. The Nurse Practitioner is a registered nurse with additional skills in and responsibility for physical diagnosis, psycho-social assessment, and management of health-illness needs in primary care. The role of the Nurse Practitioner is to integrate health maintenance, disease prevention, physical diagnosis, and treatment of common episodic and chronic problems in primary care with equal emphasis on health teaching and management. The Nurse Practitioner does not exercise supervisory responsibilities.
Typical Tasks
In accordance with established protocols and in collaboration with a physician, provides clinical assessment and case management services to individuals including constructing and interpreting a medical history, performing a physical assessment, evaluating patient behavior, performing and interpreting selected laboratory tests, identifying problems, and developing and implementing treatment plans for patients; seeks expert opinion or advice of a physician when case falls outside of protocol of agency; refers patients to physician for consultation and to specialized health resources for treatment but retains responsibility for the clinical management as well as subsequent modification.
Minimum Qualifications
Possession of a valid license to practice as a professional registered nurse in the State of California. and Completion of the requirements for Nurse Practitioner as specified in the regulations of the Board of Registered Nurses, California Administrative Code, Title 16, Chapter 14, Article 8, Section 1482.
Knowledges and Abilities
Knowledge of: Current trends and concepts of professional nursing practices; laws and regulations relating to the practice of medicine and nursing science basic to medicine (anatomy, pathophysiology, pharmacology, and microbiology); principles and practices of clinical assessment; principles and practices of common health problems; fundamentals of research; principles of mental health; causes, treatment and prevention of communicable diseases, chronic diseases, handicapping conditions, mental illness and other disabling conditions; principles of clinical consultation, continuity of patient care, and the community aspects of health services.
Ability to: Work effectively with individuals and families to assist them in solving physical, mental and social health problems; work effectively as a member of a health team; speak and write effectively including the preparation of clear and concise reports; recognize social problems which affect health; instruct in the prevention of disease, good health practices, and the health care of an ill or injured person; participate in the development of standardized procedures, and in accordance with established protocol, construct and interpret a medical history, perform a physical assessment, evaluate patient behavior, perform and interpret selected laboratory tests, and identify problems and develop and implement treatment plans for patients; maintain effective working relationships with other departments and agencies and the community; consult effectively with physicians and allied health personnel.
