Western Australia

Nurse Practitioners Code of Practice 2004

Western Australia

Nurse Practitioners Code of Practice 2004

CONTENTS

1. Citation                                                                                 1

2. Interpretation                                                                        1

3. Nurses Code of Practice 2000 applies to nurse practitioners  1

4. Role of other health care workers                                          1

5. Diagnostic tests and investigations                                          2

6. Supplying and prescribing poisons                                           2

7. Awareness of laws relating to nurse practitioners                    3

Notes

             Compilation table                                                                   4

Western Australia

Nurses Act 1992

Nurse Practitioners Code of Practice 2004

1.           Citation

This code may be cited as the Nurse Practitioners Code of Practice 2004.

2.           Interpretation

             In this code —

              “client” includes patient;

              “poison” has the meaning given to that term in the Poisons Act 1964 section 5.

3.           Nurses Code of Practice 2000 applies to nurse practitioners

             The Nurses Code of Practice 2000 applies to a nurse practitioner in addition to this code.

4.           Role of other health care workers

     (1)    Before undertaking treatment of a client, a nurse practitioner should give due consideration to consulting with any other health care worker who may have additional relevant skills or knowledge.

     (2)    Before undertaking treatment of a client, a nurse practitioner should give due consideration to giving a client a referral to, or advising the client to seek advice from, another health care worker.

5.           Diagnostic tests and investigations

     (1)    A nurse practitioner who —

                 (a)    undertakes a diagnostic test or investigation on a client, or requests that such a test or investigation be undertaken on the client; or

                 (b)    proposes to a client that the nurse practitioner undertake a particular treatment of the client based on the results of such a test or investigation,

             should have a detailed knowledge of current science‑based practices and information relating to the test or investigation.

     (2)    A nurse practitioner who, based on the results of a diagnostic test or investigation, proposes to a client that the nurse practitioner undertake a particular treatment of the client, should have given due consideration to consulting with any other health care worker who may have additional relevant skills or knowledge in the interpretation of the results of such a test or investigation.

6.           Supplying and prescribing poisons

     (1)    Before proposing to a client that the nurse practitioner undertake a particular treatment of the client involving a poison the nurse practitioner should give due consideration to consulting with another health care worker who may have additional relevant skills or knowledge.

     (2)    A nurse practitioner who supplies or prescribes a poison for a client should —

                 (a)    follow best clinical practice for the prescription of poisons and related record keeping; and

                 (b)    have a detailed knowledge of current science‑based practices and information relating to the poison.

7.           Awareness of laws relating to nurse practitioners

             A nurse practitioner should ensure that she or he is informed in relation to Commonwealth and State laws affecting the practice of nurse practitioners, including subsidiary legislation, common law and professional codes of practice and ethics that may be in force from time to time.

Notes

1        This is a compilation of the Nurse Practitioners Code of Practice 2004. The following table contains information about that code.

Compilation table

Citation	Gazettal	Commencement
Nurse Practitioners Code of Practice 2004	11 Jan 2005 p. 95-6	11 Jan 2005