What a nurse practitioner does
Nurse practitioners are registered nurses with advanced education who can assess, diagnose, order and interpret tests, prescribe medications and manage a patient's care. In many settings they carry their own caseload, working alongside physicians rather than in their place. For an employer, an NP increases access to care, supports physicians with complex or chronic patients and can lead programs such as chronic disease management or care in long-term care homes.
Because NPs are registered in a specialty, the match matters. An NP whose education and experience are in primary care suits family practice and community settings, while hospital and specialty roles often call for different clinical experience. Finch confirms each candidate's College of Nurses of Ontario registration and specialty, discusses how your physicians and NP would work together, and looks for candidates whose experience fits your population and the level of independence you expect.
Typical responsibilities
- Assess, diagnose and treat patients within the NP scope of practice
- Order and interpret laboratory and diagnostic tests
- Prescribe medications and monitor their effects
- Manage chronic conditions and coordinate referrals to specialists
- Collaborate with physicians and other team members on complex cases
- Lead patient education, health promotion or quality improvement programs
Qualifications and credentials
- Current registration with the College of Nurses of Ontario in the Nurse Practitioner class
- An NP specialty and clinical background that suit your setting, confirmed on the College of Nurses of Ontario public register
- Graduate-level nurse practitioner education
- Professional liability protection, which employers commonly require
- Experience in a comparable setting, such as primary care, long-term care or a specialty clinic
Who hires a nurse practitioner
- Family health teams and community health centres
- Nurse practitioner-led clinics
- Long-term care homes
- Hospital and specialty outpatient programs
- Occupational health and corporate health services
Where we recruit nurse practitioner candidates
We fill nurse practitioner roles for employers across Toronto and the GTA, including North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, Burlington, Oshawa and Pickering, and for employers across Canada. GTA employers can meet us at our North York office by appointment.
What Finch checks before you meet a candidate
- Confirm CNO registration in the NP class and the specialty held
- Review prescribing and diagnostic experience relevant to your patients
- Discuss how the candidate prefers to collaborate with physicians
- Assess experience with the funding and model of care your organization uses
- Check references from physicians or clinical leaders they have worked with
Interview questions to ask
- How do you decide when a patient's care needs physician involvement?
- Which chronic conditions are you most comfortable managing independently?
- Tell us about a program or process you improved in a previous role.