Allied Primary Health Practitioners

(NOC 3124)

in All Health

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 Outlook

Good

Read more

  • Estimate change in employment not available for this occupation.
  • Estimate 0 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate rate of unemployment not available for this occupation.

Compared to: All Health

  • Estimate 3550 employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 6335 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate rate of unemployment not available for these occupation.

Hourly Pay

$39.00

Minimum

$53.00

Median

$59.07

Maximum

Annual Pay

$29,276

Minimum

$95,885

Median

$108,296

Maximum

Compared to: All Health

Hourly Pay

$16.70

Minimum

$26.60

Median

$43.30

Maximum

Annual Pay

$10,740

Minimum

$43,853

Median

$88,944

Maximum

About 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

250

employed in 2016

86.0%

employed full-time

4.0%

self employed

80.0%
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20%
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45.7

median age

Compared to: All Health

36,515

employed in 2016

75.7%

employed full-time

9.6%

self employed

83.6%
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16.4%
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43.5

median age

Where will I likely work?

62.0%

Halifax

$96,237 median annual income
12.0%

Southern

$101,597 median annual income
12.0%

Cape Breton

N/A
10.0%

North Shore

N/A
4.0%

Annapolis Valley

N/A

Compared to: All NS Occupations

47.0%

Halifax

15.6%

North Shore

12.9%

Annapolis Valley

12.7%

Cape Breton

11.8%

Southern

Top Industries of Employment

86.0%

Health care and social assistance

9.3%

Public administration

4.7%

Other services (except public administration)

What is the age of Employment?

39.0%

45-54

27.0%

35-44

18.0%

25-34

10.0%

55-64

6.0%

65+

Compared to: All Health

24.0%

25-34

23.9%

45-54

21.9%

35-44

18.4%

55-64

7.7%

15-24

Top levels of education

58.0%

Master

$101,615 median annual income
14.0%

Bachelor

$88,672 median annual income
10.0%

Diploma Above Bachelor

N/A
10.0%

College Diploma

N/A
4.0%

High school

N/A

Compared to: All Health

38.4%

College Diploma

$40,033 median annual income
27.1%

Bachelor

$61,668 median annual income
8.7%

Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary, Optometry

$81,191 median annual income
6.8%

High school

$24,829 median annual income
5.1%

Master

$69,296 median annual income

Education & training

Nursing/Registered Nurse (RN, ASN, BScN, MScN)

College or University Program

These 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

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

St. Francis Xavier University

Antigonish, NS

Cape Breton University

Sydney, NS

Respiratory Therapist

College, Trades, or University Program

These 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

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

Employment requirements & contacts

Regulations

Anaesthesia Assistant

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.

Regulating body:
Nova Scotia College of Respiratory Therapists
Halifax, NS
Midwife

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.

Regulating body:
Midwifery Regulatory Council of Nova Scotia
Halifax, NS
Nurse Practitioner

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.

Regulating body:
Nova Scotia College of Nursing
Bedford, NS
Physician Assistant

Special Requirements: Physician Assistants must be accredited under the Canadian Association of Physician Assistants

Regulating body:
Canadian Association of Physician Assistants
Ottawa, ON

Contacts

National Association of PeriAnesthesia Nurses of Canada - Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia, Canada
Nurse Practitioners' Association of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia, Canada
Midwifery Coalition of Nova Scotia
Halifax, NS
Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists
Ottawa, ON
Canadian Nurses Association
Ottawa, ON
Nova Scotia Nurses Union
Dartmouth, NS
Canadian Association of Physician Assistants
Ottawa, ON