The Lab Interpretation Course for Nurse Practitioners

Lab interpretation goes beyond numbers. It requires structure, reasoning, and clinical judgment.

This course, developed by nurse practitioners in collaboration with leading clinical experts, walks you through a practical process that mirrors how experienced clinicians think in real practice. You’ll learn how to confirm that a result is valid and clinically meaningful, determine how significant or urgent the finding is, interpret it within the broader presentation, decide which additional investigations are warranted, and know when specialist input or follow-up is appropriate.

It’s designed to help you move beyond memorization toward true diagnostic reasoning — teaching you how to connect data with the patient in front of you. Through eight in-depth modules, you’ll gain the confidence to interpret results systematically and make evidence-based decisions in everyday clinical care.

The curriculum integrates Canadian, U.S., and international guidance to support clinicians across North America and beyond. Lab values are presented in SI units, with conventional units included where applicable.

Who it’s for

This program is designed for clinicians in primary care who want to strengthen their confidence in lab interpretation and clinical decision-making. It is suitable for nurse practitioners, physicians, registered nurses, physician assistants, naturopathic doctors, and other healthcare professionals involved in ordering, interpreting, or managing laboratory results.

What you’ll learn

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

• Apply a structured approach to interpreting lab tests

• Recognize normal and abnormal results in clinical context

• Identify critical findings that require urgent action and know when referral is appropriate

• Select appropriate follow-up investigations

• Integrate lab results into clinical reasoning and management

Program format

The course is self-paced and fully online, and includes:

• Lifetime access with a one-time payment and no subscription required

• Over 7 hours of video lessons, created by nurse practitioners in collaboration with clinical specialists

• Nearly 80 clinically focused quiz questions integrated throughout the course to reinforce key concepts (completion-based, with no minimum passing score required)

• Over 200 pages of downloadable, evidence-based clinical material for immediate use in practice

• A private discussion space for peer connection and clinical discussion

Start anytime and learn at your own pace, from anywhere.

Click each module below to explore what you’ll learn.

Build a clear understanding of when and why to order laboratory tests, how to interpret results in context, and how to apply a structured, repeatable framework to every result.

You’ll learn about test sensitivity and specificity, reference ranges, pre-analytical and analytical factors, and how to identify critical values. This module introduces the principles of evidence-based interpretation and lays the foundation for practical decision-making in primary care.

Master a stepwise approach to interpreting the CBC and understanding what each abnormality means for patient care.

You’ll learn to evaluate red blood cell indices and morphology, interpret white blood cell differentials, and assess platelet count and trends. This module includes structured approaches to anemia (microcytic, normocytic, macrocytic), polycythemia, neutropenia, lymphocytopenia, neutrophilia, lymphocytosis, eosinophilia, thrombocytopenia, and thrombocytosis — connecting each pattern to underlying causes and appropriate next steps.

Interpret iron studies and related nutrient deficiencies with confidence, integrating results into your diagnostic reasoning.

You’ll learn to interpret ferritin, serum iron, transferrin saturation, and TIBC, and to distinguish between iron deficiency anemia, anemia of chronic disease, and iron overload. The module also reviews vitamin B12 and vitamin D testing, interpretation thresholds, and management considerations based on current evidence.

Evaluate kidney function and electrolyte disturbances using a systematic, evidence-based framework.

You’ll learn to interpret eGFR, creatinine, BUN, urine ACR, and urinalysis findings, and distinguish between acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). The module covers approaches to abnormal eGFR and creatinine trends, and stepwise evaluation of hyponatremia, hypernatremia, hypokalemia, hyperkalemia, and hypercalcemia — including when to monitor, investigate further, or refer.

Recognize patterns of liver injury, assess disease severity, and determine when further testing or referral is indicated.

You’ll learn to interpret ALT, AST, ALP, GGT, bilirubin, albumin, and INR, identify hepatocellular, cholestatic, and mixed injury patterns, and assess synthetic function. This module also covers interpretation of hepatitis B and C results, and evaluation of metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) with fibrosis risk assessment tools.

Interpret thyroid, reproductive, and adrenal hormone results using a structured clinical framework.

You’ll learn to interpret thyroid function and antibody testing, evaluate hypo- and hyperthyroidism, and assess FSH, LH, estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, SHBG, prolactin, AMH, DHEA-S, androstenedione, and morning (AM) cortisol. Clinical applications include evaluation of amenorrhea and menstrual irregularities, PCOS, perimenopause and menopause, infertility, low testosterone, and adrenal insufficiency, with guidance on when further testing or referral is warranted.

Connect lab interpretation to prevention, risk reduction, and long-term metabolic health.

You’ll learn to interpret fasting glucose, HbA₁c, 2-hour OGTT, and random glucose, and to differentiate between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The module includes lipid interpretation — total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, triglycerides, non-HDL cholesterol, apolipoprotein B (Apo B), and lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] — and how to integrate these results into cardiovascular risk assessment and preventive care. You’ll also review laboratory patterns of metabolic syndrome and their links to cardiometabolic risk, along with an approach to evaluating elevated creatine kinase, addressing statin-associated muscle symptoms, secondary causes, and appropriate follow-up or referral.

Interpret inflammatory and autoimmune markers accurately and confidently, recognizing systemic patterns that guide next steps in care.

You’ll learn to evaluate ESR and CRP, interpret positive rheumatoid factor and anti-CCP, and assess ANA, ENA, and anti-dsDNA results. This module outlines an approach to recognizing autoimmune disease patterns, determining when further serology or referral is needed, and integrating results into the broader clinical context.