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Nurse Practitioner

UCI Series Concepts

Class Specifications - H.35
Nurse Practitioner III - 9146
Nurse Practitioner II - 9147
Nurse Practitioner I - 9148

September, 1980

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SERIES CONCEPT

Nurse Practitioners in accordance with standardized procedures perform 
physical examinations and treat common episodic and chronic health care 
problems with an emphasis on health maintenance and disease prevention 
through education and counseling; and perform other related duties as 
assigned.

Incumbents in accordance with standardized procedures conduct in-depth 
interviews with patients and/or family, construct comprehensive medical 
histories, perform initial and periodic physical examinations, evaluate 
patient behavior and explore patient's interpretation of health needs.  
Incumbents directly perform or order appropriate diagnostic studies and 
interpret finished results; develop and implement long and short range 
treatment plans.  Nurse Practitioners work in collaboration with other 
health care team members, consulting and referring as appropriate, but 
retain responsibility for the ongoing clinical management of the 
patient.

The series consists of three levels.  Nurse Practitioner III is the 
lead/advanced operational level.  Nurse Practitioner II is the 
operational level.  Nurse Practitioner I is the entry level.

                           CLASS CONCEPTS

Nurse Practitioner III

Under direction incumbents are assigned continuing responsibility for 
leading a group of Nurse Practitioners or are designated expert resource 
persons on the basis of their advanced academic specialization and/or 
clinical expertise.  Incumbents at this level are assigned more complex 
cases requiring the use of advanced skills and typically work with 
greater independence than is the case at the Nurse Practitioner II 
level.  In addition to performing those duties listed in the Series 
Concept.  Nurse Practitioner III's monitor and evaluate the quality of 
care provided and provide clinical consultation to a variety of health 
care professionals; identify health problems of patient groups; initiate 
and maintain liaison with community teaching programs; plan and present 
staff inservice education; participate in program planning; assist in 
establishing protocols; conduct teaching programs for nurse practitioner 
students and clinical staff; or design and conduct research and special 
studies.  Assignments at this level may also involve training, assigning 
work, and assisting with the selection and evaluation of lower level 
Nurse Practitioners.

Nurse Practitioner II

Under general supervision, incumbents perform operational level duties 
as described in the Series Concept.  The major emphasis at this level is 
ongoing direct patient care delivery.  Assignments at this level 
primarily encompass management of patients who present chronic and/or 
episodic health problems.  Assignments at this level may include 
responsibility for occasional community teaching programs, participation 
in program planning and development of patient education information.

Most positions are allocated at this level.

Nurse Practitioner I

Under supervision, incumbents perform most of the duties listed in the 
series concept in close collaboration with the physician and/or higher 
level nurse practitioner.  Assignments typically include patients with 
routine health management needs (i.e., well patients, employee health, 
routine physicals).  This is the entry level for the series and 
incumbents are expected to advance to the Nurse Practitioner II level 
after acquiring a satisfactory level of experience and judgment in 
the diagnosis and treatment of patient's medical needs and increased 
ability to manage multi-system health care problems.

                         MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Incumbents for positions included in the Nurse Practitioner series are 
expected to possess the legal requirements to practice as a Registered 
Nurse as determined by the California Board of Registered Nursing; a 
current certificate of completion from a college or university-based 
Nurse Practitioner program; and possess the skills, knowledges, and 
abilities essential to the successful performance of the duties assigned 
to the position.

Note: Specific qualification requirements are defined for positions by 
      the appropriate user departments.

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