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Nurse Practitioners

ANZSCO ID 254411

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Overview

Snapshot

Employed
1,700
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
63%
Female Share
84%
Average age
48
About this data

Summary

Nurse Practitioners provide advanced and extended nursing care to patients, such as ordering diagnostic tests, undertaking diagnosis and health assessments, prescribing patient care management, medicines and therapies, as authorised in relevant nursing legislation, and referring to specialist Medical Practitioners and other Health Professionals in a range of health, welfare and community settings.

Tasks

  • Assesses, plans, implements and evaluates nursing care for patients according to accepted nursing practice and standards.

  • Works in consultation with other health professionals and members of health teams, and co-ordinating the care of patients.

  • Provides interventions, treatments and therapies such as medications, and monitors responses to treatment and care plans.

  • Promotes health and assists in preventing ill health by participating in health education and other health promotion activities.

  • Answers questions and providing information to patients and families about treatment and care.

  • Supervises and co-ordinating the work of enrolled nurses and other health care workers.

Characteristics

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Registered Nurses, under the outlook section.

Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 63% of people employed as Nurse Practitioners work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is similar to the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 43 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.

Industries

Main industries

1
Health Care and Social Assistance
92.0%
2
Public Administration and Safety
3.4%
3
Education and Training
1.0%
4
Administrative and Support Services
0.8%
5
Other industries
1.5%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

28.2% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

26.8% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

22.4% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

8.4% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

9.5% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

1.7% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.6% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

2.4% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Nurse Practitioners All Jobs Average
NSW 28.2 31.6
VIC 26.8 25.6
QLD 22.4 20.0
SA 8.4 7.0
WA 9.5 10.8
TAS 1.7 2.0
NT 0.6 1.0
ACT 2.4 1.9


  • Around 60% of Nurse Practitioners live in capital cities, similar to the all jobs average of 62%.

    The region with the largest share of workers is Gold Coast.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.

Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
48
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
84%
All Jobs Average is 48%

  • The median age of Nurse Practitioners is 48 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 45 to 54 years.

    Females make up 84% of the workforce. This is 36 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Nurse Practitioners All Jobs Average
15-19 0.0 5.0
20-24 3.1 9.3
25-34 12.8 22.9
35-44 23.5 22.0
45-54 34.5 21.6
55-59 15.5 9.0
60-64 7.8 6.0
65 and Over 2.9 4.2
Median Age 48 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.

Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A masters degree in nursing and three years experience at the clinical advanced nursing practice level is usually needed to work as a Nurse Practitioner.

Registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia is required.

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  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Nurse Practitioners All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 58.7 10.1
Bachelor degree 25.3 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 8.1 11.6
Certificate III/IV 2.4 21.1
Year 12 4.8 18.1
Year 11 0.2 4.8
Year 10 and below 0.6 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.

Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Registered Nurses who are caring, empathetic, reliable, with strong communication and interpersonal skills.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 68%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 64%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 64%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 63%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 61%

    Science

    Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

  • 59%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 59%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 59%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 59%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 57%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 57%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 57%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 57%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 54%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 52%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 52%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 52%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 46%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • 46%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 45%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 86%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 82%

    Therapy and counselling

    Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.

  • 80%

    Medicine and dentistry

    Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.

  • 79%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 71%

    Biology

    Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.

  • 70%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 67%

    Sociology and anthropology

    Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

  • 65%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 59%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 56%

    Philosophy and theology

    Philosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.

  • 53%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 51%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 50%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 47%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 46%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 45%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 45%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 43%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 33%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 22%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 73%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 71%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 70%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 66%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 63%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 61%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 61%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 57%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 57%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 57%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 57%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 55%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 50%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 50%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 48%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 48%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 45%

    Perceptual speed

    Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • 45%

    Speed of recognition

    Quickly make sense of and organize things you can see like letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • 43%

    Mathematics

    Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.

  • 43%

    Memorization

    Remember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.

Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 91%

    Helping and caring for others

    Providing personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.

  • 86%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 81%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 80%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 79%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 78%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 78%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 77%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 77%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 70%

    Working with the public

    Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.

  • 70%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 70%

    Coaching and developing others

    Working out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.

  • 70%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 67%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 66%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 64%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 63%

    Leading and encouraging a team

    Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

  • 61%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 61%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 56%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 90%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 86%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 62%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 38%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 38%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 33%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.

  • 95%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 81%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 81%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 81%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 79%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 71%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:

  • 97%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 97%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 95%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 94%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 92%

    Consequence of error

    Work where mistakes have serious consequences.

  • 92%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 91%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 90%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 90%

    Disease or infection

    Be exposed to disease or infections.

  • 89%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 88%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 88%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 87%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 83%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 79%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 79%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

  • 78%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 77%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

  • 77%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.

  • 74%

    Angry or unpleasant people

    Deal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 29-1171.00 - Nurse Practitioners.

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