Emergency Nurse Practitioner Job Description, Key Duties and Responsibilities

This post provides detailed information on the emergency nurse practitioner job description, to help you learn the duties, tasks, and responsibilities they perform.

What Does an Emergency Nurse Practitioner Do?

An emergency nurse practitioner is a health care provider who works with a medical doctor in treating patients in the emergency room, paying urgent attention to their primary care needs, health conditions and physical injuries or trauma.

The emergency nurse practitioner job description includes assisting the doctor in aspects of administering care to patients, including areas such as diagnosis, treatment and counseling.

The nurse practitioner works in both inpatient and outpatient setting and is capable of working independently on their own or as a team member.

As an expert and specialist, the emergency nurse goes an extra mile to educate patients about preventative care and the need to adhere to prescribed treatments.

To provide complete care, they may also carry out physicals and order tests. Their role may also include prescribing medications in cases of emergency in the absence of the doctor in a bid to save patients’ lives.

As a member of the medical team, the individual nurse works together with an expert physician to evaluate the physical condition of patients taken to the emergency room for treatment.

He/she also records and interprets all results of medical tests done at the clinic and accurately reports findings to the medical expert they are working with.

He/she assists the medical team in prescribing medications and also recommends other therapeutic kinds of treatment that may be needed for patients’ fast recovery.

As expert care providers, emergency nurse practitioners make it a priority to be familiar with advance medical concepts, latest developments in practices and procedures in the nursing field. Having been in the field for a while, he/she makes use of their reservoir of knowledge and experience to create and accomplish treatment targets on patients.

They also carries out comprehensive and specific physical examinations such as administering treatment to several illnesses and injuries, administering immunizations; observing patients’ blood pressure, and other health problems they may be experiencing.

They also interpret medical tests results which include X-rays and EKGs amongst other laboratory tests.

Emergency Nurse Practitioner Job Description Sample/Example/Template

Stated in the emergency nurse practitioner job description sample below are important duties, tasks, and responsibilities emergency nurses are normally expected to carry out.

• Conduct physical examinations and take record patients health history
• Take patients to the emergency room and administer first aid healthcare treatment before the arrival of the doctor
• Write down prescription and make order for medical tests to be conducted for diagnosis
• Assist the doctors in outlining the right and most effective treatment option to be administered to patients
• Assist the psychiatrists and psychologists in evaluating the condition of patients and planning the best treatment option for them
• Carryout diagnosis for treating and assisting patients to manage acute and chronic illnesses accordingly
• Make use of expertise to conduct physical examinations on patients and interpret their health conditions from their medical history
• Assist the doctor in prescribing age appropriate physical therapy to suit patients
• Administer both primary and specialty care to both adults and children accordingly
• Perform minor procedures when necessary in emergency situations.

The above job description example can be useful in writing a resume for a vacant position in the emergency unit for an emergency nurse.

Emergency Nurse Practitioner Requirements: Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities for Career Success

Below are vital requirements to be considered for the position of emergency nurse practitioner by most employers:

• Have a recognized certification as a Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner (CRNP)
• Ability to be creative in handling emergencies
• Good judgment to make decisions in emergency situations
• Ability to perform several tasks together at the same time without making a mistake.