Australian equivalent of NP?

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Specializes in Family Medicine, Tele/Cardiac, Camp.

Hi guys,

So I've been trying to get back to Australia (spent 6 months of uni there in 2002) for years now. I've been a nurse for 5 years and was actively looking to return to NSW for nursing last year. Except life got in the way and now I've hurt my back with plans to start grad school (here in the states) in the fall.

I'm hoping that once I finish my Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN) and become a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) I can FINALLY go to Australia to work. At least for a year or 2. My question (since I'm hoping to soon leave bedside nursing behind me due to my back injury) is "Does Australia have anything that would be the equivalent of a Nurse Practitioner in the US?" That's badly worded, but I hope it makes sense.

I have known a few people who have worked both in the US and Oz (Australians and Americans) and it seems like the general consensus is that nurses practicing in Australia seem to have less autonomy than in the states.

What are your thoughts? Would I be able to get a clinic job as a NP in Australia and/or practice relatively independently? Are there any nurses in Australia with 'script writing privileges? What kind of work *would* I be eligible for with a MSN? Are there any American NP's reading this who are practicing in Oz now? Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. :)

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seek.com.au has jobs on it but the site is down at the moment..but to answer your question, yes we do have nurse practioners in Australia that have script writing privaleges and work autonomously.

Revive is another employer of NP's

http://www.reviveclinic.com.au/

as are the major hospitals, but i think most work in the outback...i am not a NP I just have a friend who is one so thats the sum total of my knowledge.

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Specializes in Family Medicine, Tele/Cardiac, Camp.

Awesome! Thanks for that! :) Actually, shortly after I posted this question I came across an old post from 2008 about how there were NP's in Australia. The thread linked to some youtube videos about NP's in Australia and I got a lot of my questions answered.

I still doubt they would take me without any NP experience so maybe I'll be waiting another 3-4 years or so, but that's okay. At least now I know I could work there! Thanks again.

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Specializes in Medical.

Good luck :)

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Specializes in Family Medicine, Tele/Cardiac, Camp.

Thanks. :)

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