State of Maryland

A Nurse Practitioner/Midwife I is the intermediate level of work providing primary health care to patients in community settings, local health department clinics and State health facilities.  Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions.

Employees in this classification receive moderate supervision from a Nurse Practitioner/Midwife Supervisor or other higher-level healthcare professional.  Employees may be subject to call-in and overtime based on staffing needs.  The work may be performed at patients’ homes, schools and other community settings where travel is required.  Employees are required to observe infection control precautions in order to prevent contamination and spread of disease.  The work may require the lifting and positioning of nonambulatory patients, and the lifting of wheelchairs and other heavy equipment.  The work may require long periods of standing, walking, bending and reaching.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work Sections of the class specification.

The Nurse Practitioner/Midwife I and the Nurse Practitioner/Midwife II are differentiated on the basis of degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees.  The Nurse Practitioner/Midwife I performs duties under close supervision at times and under general supervision at other times depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed, while the Nurse Practitioner/Midwife II performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.

Establishes medical diagnosis and prescribes drugs for common short-term or chronic stable health problems for a patient population;

Prescribes medications, orders and plans therapy according to established protocol;

Assesses and manages minor physical and psychological problems;

Orders, performs and interprets laboratory tests when indicated by diagnosis;

Provides guidance and instruction in health maintenance and disease prevention;

Plans and conducts clinics for continuing care of patients;

Coordinates community and hospital services, determines appropriate community referrals and assists in making appointments and referrals needed by patients and family;

Refers patients to other health care providers;

Encourages and assists patients to understand present health status, to develop self-care measures, to improve deficiencies and to maintain maximum health care status;

May provide advice, training and guidance to lower-level nursing staff;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of the principles and practices of registered nursing;

Knowledge of the theory of registered nursing practice;

Knowledge of the nursing process;

Skill in diagnosing common illnesses and recommending appropriate treatment;

Skill in the application of the nursing process;

Skill in measuring the effects of nursing intervention;

Skill in providing accurate documentation and record keeping;

Ability to prescribe medicine and recommend medical procedures;

Ability to assess physical, emotional and social needs of patients;

Ability to develop a plan of care for the patient;

Ability to observe the effects of nursing measures;

Ability to work effectively with patients, professional and nonprofessional workers and the general public;

Ability to provide accurate nursing documentation;

Ability to conduct patient education programs.

Education:   Determined by Maryland State Board of Examiners of Nurses under the certification requirements for Nurse Practitioner or Nurse-Midwife.

Experience: None.

1. Candidates for positions in this classification must possess a current certificate as a Nurse Practitioner or as a Nurse Midwife from the Maryland State Board of Nursing, 4140 Patterson Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21215.

2. Employees in this classification may be assigned duties which require the operation of a motor vehicle. Employees assigned such duties will be required to possess a motor vehicle operator’s license valid in the State of Maryland.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Professional Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Professional Service positions.  Some positions in Professional Service classifications may be designated as Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit E- Health Professionals classes.  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial, and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining. Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series.  NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance level in a classification series.  In order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series, an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class, as defined by the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.