Allied Primary Health Practitioners
(NOC 3124)
in All HealthAllied primary health practitioners nurse practitioners, physician assistants, anesthesia assistants, and midwives who provide primary health care and treatment in conjunction with physicians and in collaboration with other health professionals. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants provide a range of health services to patients delivering preventive and continuous care toward the management of patients' health. Anesthesia assistants participate in the care of the stable surgical patient during sedation anesthesia through medical directives under the supervision of an anesthesiologist. Midwives provide full-course care to women and their babies during the pre- and post-natal period. Nurse practitioners work in community health centres, hospitals, long-term care, clinics, and rehabilitation centres. Anesthesia assistants work in hospitals. Midwives work in hospitals, clinics, birthing centres or in private practice. Physician assistants usually work in private practice, including group or team practices, hospitals, and clinics.
Job Outlook
Good
Read more
Compared to: All Health
Hourly Pay
$39.00
Minimum$53.00
Median$59.07
MaximumAnnual Pay
$29,276
Minimum$95,885
Median$108,296
MaximumCompared to: All Health
Hourly Pay
$16.70
Minimum$26.60
Median$43.30
MaximumAnnual Pay
$10,740
Minimum$43,853
Median$88,944
MaximumAbout the job
Nature of work
Allied primary health practitioners nurse practitioners, physician assistants, anesthesia assistants, and midwives who provide primary health care and treatment in conjunction with physicians and in collaboration with other health professionals. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants provide a range of health services to patients delivering preventive and continuous care toward the management of patients' health. Anesthesia assistants participate in the care of the stable surgical patient during sedation anesthesia through medical directives under the supervision of an anesthesiologist. Midwives provide full-course care to women and their babies during the pre- and post-natal period. Nurse practitioners work in community health centres, hospitals, long-term care, clinics, and rehabilitation centres. Anesthesia assistants work in hospitals. Midwives work in hospitals, clinics, birthing centres or in private practice. Physician assistants usually work in private practice, including group or team practices, hospitals, and clinics.
Job duties
Nurse practitioners:
- 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.
- Work with members of an interdisciplinary health team like family physicians, therapists, and nutritionists to plan, implement, coordinate, and evaluate patient care in consultation with patients and their families.
Anesthesia assistants:
- Provide technical support to anesthesiologists for complex anesthesia equipment.
- Provide airway management assistance.
- Monitor patient's hemodynamic status, blood, fluid, and pharmacological therapy.
- Administer anesthetic gases and medications, insert, and manage hemodynamic monitors, and manage anesthesia equipment.
- Provide physiologic surveillance of the stable patient under general anesthesia, regional anesthesia, and for procedural sedation.
Midwives:
- Provide primary, full-course, care to women and their babies during pregnancy, labour, birth, and the post-natal period including monitoring the health of mother and baby.
- 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 on caring for newborns and young infants.
Physician assistants:
- Conduct patient interviews, physical assessments and take medical histories.
- Complete or order diagnostic tests and interpret results.
- Make and implement treatment plans and monitor patients' progress in consultation with a supervising physician.
- Perform and help in minor surgery.
- Provide health maintenance education.
- May participate in research activities.
- May prescribe from a limited list of medications.
Sample job titles
- acute care nurse practitioner
- anesthesia assistant
- midwife
- nurse practitioner
- nurse-midwife
- physician assistant
- primary health care nurse practitioner
- registered midwife (RM)
Skills
- Compassion, sensitivity, and a desire to help people are important. Maturity and good judgement are essential. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills are important. You should be able to inspire confidence and put people at ease, be observant, and notice a client's symptoms and response to treatment. It is important to understand and practice professional ethics.
Job requirements
- 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 Nova Scotia.
- Anesthesia assistants require completion of an anesthesia assistance program or having achieved equivalent clinical/professional experience (over 5 years) working exclusively in anesthesia.
- Registration with a regulatory body is required for anesthesia assistants in Nova Scotia.
- 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.
- Physician assistants require completion of a university degree in a physician assistant program.
Other considerations
- There is no mobility between these jobs without further training.
By the numbers
Quick look
employed in 2016
employed full-time
self employed
median age
Compared to: All Health
employed in 2016
employed full-time
self employed
median age
Where will I likely work?
Halifax
$96,237 median annual incomeSouthern
$101,597 median annual incomeCape Breton
N/ANorth Shore
N/AAnnapolis Valley
N/ACompared to: All NS Occupations
Halifax
North Shore
Annapolis Valley
Cape Breton
Southern
Top Industries of Employment
Health care and social assistance
Public administration
Other services (except public administration)
What is the age of Employment?
45-54
35-44
25-34
55-64
65+
Compared to: All Health
25-34
45-54
35-44
55-64
15-24
Top levels of education
Master
$101,615 median annual incomeBachelor
$88,672 median annual incomeDiploma Above Bachelor
N/ACollege Diploma
N/AHigh school
N/ACompared to: All Health
College Diploma
$40,033 median annual incomeBachelor
$61,668 median annual incomeMedicine, Dentistry, Veterinary, Optometry
$81,191 median annual incomeHigh school
$24,829 median annual incomeMaster
$69,296 median annual incomeEducation & training
Nursing/Registered Nurse (RN, ASN, BScN, MScN)
College or University ProgramThese programs prepare students in the knowledge, techniques and procedures for promoting health, providing care for sick, disabled, infirm, or other individuals or groups. They include courses in the administration of medication and treatments, assisting a physician during treatments and examinations, referring patients to physicians and other health care specialists, and planning education for health maintenance.
Institutions providing this program
Sydney, NS
Respiratory Therapist
College, Trades, or University ProgramThese programs prepare students, under the supervision of physicians, to help develop respiratory care plans, administer respiratory care procedures, supervise staff and equipment operation, maintain records, and consult with other health care team members. They include courses in the applied basic biomedical sciences, anatomy, physiology, and pathology of the respiratory system, clinical medicine, therapeutic procedures, clinical expressions, data collection and record-keeping, patient communication, equipment operation and maintenance, personnel supervision, and procedures for special population groups.
Institutions providing this program
Employment requirements & contacts
Regulations
Right to Title and Practice: This job is regulated. The job title is protected, and you may not use it without a professional licence. A licence shows that the holder has met provincial requirements and is required to legally do this work.
Right to Title and Practice: This job is regulated. The job title is protected, and you may not use it without a professional licence. A licence shows that the holder has met provincial requirements and is required to legally do this work.
Right to Title and Practice: This job is regulated. The job title is protected, and you may not use it without a professional licence. A licence shows that the holder has met provincial requirements and is required to legally do this work.
Special Requirements: Physician Assistants must be accredited under the Canadian Association of Physician Assistants