While a number of overseas countries have had Nurse Practitioners for over 40 years, the role is relatively new to Australian Health Services.

Most Australian States have trialed various models, enacted supporting legislation, developed relevant policies, and implemented the role.  Australian and overseas trials and studies confirm the Nurse Practitioner role is a valuable, safe and effective component of modern healthcare services.

The clinical areas where Nurse Practitioners practice are wide and varied.  Some examples of areas where the role has been implemented are: rural & remote, community health, mental health, emergency department, neonatal, cardiac/cardiology, chronic pain management, renal transplant, endocrine, neurosurgical, paediatrics and midwifery.

Nurse Practitioners practise at a more advanced level than many other nurses and must have authorisation from their nursing licensing body to practice as a nurse practitioner.

Nurse Practitioners have the knowledge and expertise to make complex decisions about patient care. They are qualified to examine patients, order diagnostic tests, interpret results of these tests, then use their expert knowledge to decide the best treatment or therapy, including the prescribing of medications if relevant.

In 2004 the Australian Nursing Council and the New Zealand Nursing Council released the Nurse Practitioner Standards Project Report. The report  provides a description of the core role of nurse practitioners and core competency standards for nurse practitioners in Australia and New Zealand.

Adoption of National Competency Standards will promote consistency in the practice of Nurse Practitioners throughout Australia & New Zealand.

To practise as a Nurse Practitioner in Queensland, nurses must be endorsed as a Nurse Practitioner with the Queensland Nursing Council (QNC). Information about requirements for Nurse Practitioner endorsement can be accessed on the Queensland Nursing Council website.

Queensland Health has published Implementation Guidelines to assist Health Service Districts in implementing the role.