Australian Capital Territory
Health (Nurse Practitioner Position and Scope of Practice) Approval 2009 (No 2)
Notifiable instrument NI2009-320
made under the
Health Regulation 2004 - section 8 (approval of Nurse practitioner positions) and section 11 (scope of practice for nurse practitioner position)

1	Name of instrument

This instrument is the Health (Nurse Practitioner Position and Scope of Practice) Approval 2009 (No 2).

2	Commencement

This instrument commences on the day after notification.

3	Approval of nurse practitioner position

I approve a Nurse Practitioner Rehabilitation position within Aged Care and Rehabilitation Services, ACT Health.

4	Approval of scope of practice for nurse practitioner position

I approve the attached scope of practice statement as the scope of practice for the Nurse Practitioner Rehabilitation position within Aged Care and Rehabilitation Services, ACT Health.

Mark Cormack 
Chief Executive
27 July 2009

Rehabilitation Nurse Practitioner – Scope of Practice Statement

The Rehabilitation Nurse Practitioner will work within a multidisciplinary, collaborative team environment to provide expert, timely, flexible and appropriate rehabilitation services to appropriately referred clients, aged 18 years and over.  Service provision will be provided within the Aged Care and Rehabilitation Service, ACT Health and will include acute rehabilitation unit, Community Rehabilitation Team and the Rehabilitation Independent Living Unit.   

The nurse practitioner scope of practice will include the full and accurate assessment of client’s rehabilitation needs, timely and appropriate access to treatment that may not have otherwise occurred or which may have been delayed, the development of complex care plans, the timely and judicious ordering of necessary diagnostic investigations, the timely referral of clients to other health care professionals as required and the judicious prescribing of pharmacological therapies as approved within the relevant Clinical Practice Guidelines. 

The Rehabilitation Nurse Practitioner will also 
•	Provide clinical leadership and role modelling to all members of the multidisciplinary team as related to advanced evidenced based rehabilitation care
•	Provide education to clients, carers and health professional staff