Occupational Profiles

Nurse practitioners perform some or all of the following duties:

• Examine patients and take their medical histories and consult with physicians and other medical practitioners to evaluate patients' physical and mental health
• Order laboratory tests, X-rays and other diagnostic procedures
• Inoculate and vaccinate patients
• Advise patients and their families on health care including health promotion, disease, illness and accident prevention
• Collaborate with members of an interdisciplinary health team such as family physicians, therapists and nutritionists to plan, implement, co-ordinate and evaluate patient care in consultation with patients and their families
• May prescribe from a limited list of medications.

Physician assistants perform some or all of the following duties:

• Conduct patient interviews, physical assessments and take medical histories
• Perform or order diagnostic tests and interpret results
• In consultation with a supervising physician, formulate and implement treatment plans and monitor patients' progress
• Perform and assist in minor surgery
• Provide health maintenance education
• May participate in research activities
• May prescribe from a limited list of medications.

Midwives perform some or all of the following duties:

• Provide primary, full-course, care to women and their babies during pregnancy, such as physical examinations, screening and diagnostic tests to monitor the health of mother and baby and make referrals to medical specialists as required
• Manage labour and spontaneous normal deliveries
• Care for, assess and monitor the health of newborns and refer infants to appropriate medical services as required
• Provide advice and guidance regarding care for newborns and young infants.

• Nurse practitioners usually require a master's degree in nursing; or completion of a nursing program with additional advanced or extended primary health care nursing education; and several years of practice as a registered nurse.
• Registration with a regulatory body is required for nurse practitioners in all provinces and territories.
• Physician assistants require completion of a university degree in a physician assistant program.
• Physician assistants require registration with a regulatory body in Manitoba and New Brunswick.
• Midwives require completion of an undergraduate university degree program in midwifery or its equivalent and a period of supervised practical training.
• Registration with a regulatory body is required for midwives in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.