Nurse Practitioner
Class Specifications – H.35
Nurse Practitioner III – 9146
Nurse Practitioner II – 9147
Nurse Practitioner I – 9148
September, 1980
Series Concept
Nurse Practitioners in accordance with standardized procedures perform physical examinations and treat common episodic and chronic health care problems with an emphasis on health maintenance and disease prevention through education and counseling; and perform other related duties as assigned.
Incumbents in accordance with standardized procedures conduct in-depth interviews with patients and/or family, construct comprehensive medical histories, perform initial and periodic physical examinations, evaluate patient behavior and explore patient’s interpretation of health needs. Incumbents directly perform or order appropriate diagnostic studies and interpret finished results; develop and implement long and short range treatment plans. Nurse Practitioners work in collaboration with other health care team members, consulting and referring as appropriate, but retain responsibility for the ongoing clinical management of the patient.
The series consists of three levels. Nurse Practitioner III is the lead/advanced operational level. Nurse Practitioner II is the operational level. Nurse Practitioner I is the entry level.
Class Concepts
Nurse Practitioner III
Under direction incumbents are assigned continuing responsibility for leading a group of Nurse Practitioners or are designated expert resource persons on the basis of their advanced academic specialization and/or clinical expertise. Incumbents at this level are assigned more complex cases requiring the use of advanced skills and typically work with greater independence than is the case at the Nurse Practitioner II level. In addition to performing those duties listed in the Series Concept. Nurse Practitioner III’s monitor and evaluate the quality of care provided and provide clinical consultation to a variety of health care professionals; identify health problems of patient groups; initiate and maintain liaison with community teaching programs; plan and present staff inservice education; participate in program planning; assist in establishing protocols; conduct teaching programs for nurse practitioner students and clinical staff; or design and conduct research and special studies. Assignments at this level may also involve training, assigning work, and assisting with the selection and evaluation of lower level Nurse Practitioners.
Nurse Practitioner II
Under general supervision, incumbents perform operational level duties as described in the Series Concept. The major emphasis at this level is ongoing direct patient care delivery. Assignments at this level primarily encompass management of patients who present chronic and/or episodic health problems. Assignments at this level may include responsibility for occasional community teaching programs, participation in program planning and development of patient education information.
Most positions are allocated at this level.
Nurse Practitioner I
Under supervision, incumbents perform most of the duties listed in the series concept in close collaboration with the physician and/or higher level nurse practitioner. Assignments typically include patients with routine health management needs (i.e., well patients, employee health, routine physicals). This is the entry level for the series and incumbents are expected to advance to the Nurse Practitioner II level after acquiring a satisfactory level of experience and judgment in the diagnosis and treatment of patient’s medical needs and increased ability to manage multi-system health care problems.
Minimum Qualifications
Incumbents for positions included in the Nurse Practitioner series are expected to possess the legal requirements to practice as a Registered Nurse as determined by the California Board of Registered Nursing; a current certificate of completion from a college or university-based Nurse Practitioner program; and possess the skills, knowledges, and abilities essential to the successful performance of the duties assigned to the position.
Note: Specific qualification requirements are defined for positions by the appropriate user departments.