The medical and healthcare sector in New Zealand is highly advanced. A medical career in New Zealand can be a highly rewarding and lucrative one. Medical jobs in New Zealand have very high levels of job satisfaction which is also another reason to follow a medical career in the country.

The role of a Nurse Practitioner is involved in advanced clinical training and related medical practice. Let’s look at the steps you need to take, as a Nurse Practitioner, to practice in New Zealand.

Who is a Nurse Practitioner?

A Nurse Practitioner combines advanced knowledge and skills in nursing to provide services in the healthcare industry. Nurse Practitioners generally work in primary medical care, usually lead by General Practitioners.

The can work for District Health Boards (DHBs) or non-governmental medical institutes. Nurse Practitioners might also require to work in rural and remote areas in New Zealand. They need to demonstrate competency in providing healthcare services even in remote settings.

The Role of a Nurse Practitioner

Here is the role of a Nurse Practitioner as defined by the Nursing Council of New Zealand (NCNZ).

·        They work in collaboration with health professionals to prevent various diseases and provide improved access to healthcare services across the country.

·        They work in partnership with lead healthcare providers to diagnose and treat ailments for patients and their families.

·        They use their advanced nursing skills and knowledge to provide patient-centered healthcare services.

·        They provide a wide range of medical assessments, treatment interventions, interpreting diagnostic tests, and prescribing medicines for patients.

Nurse Practitioner Qualifications and Training

The NCNZ requires a Nurse Practitioner to have the following qualifications and training.

·        Registration with the NCNZ within the scope of nursing practice.

·        Completion of a clinical master’s degree that is approved by the NCNZ.

·        Minimum four years of practice experience in the relevant nursing practice scope.

·        A pass in the assessment conducted by an approved panel to test the applicant’s competency.

·        At least 300 hours of clinical supervision.

Applications for Nurse Practitioners can be made through the relevant DHBs.

Register with the NCNZ

The NCNZ is the governing body for the practice of all nurses in New Zealand. The council sets standards in nursing practice and monitors these standards accordingly. A Nurse Practitioner, local or immigrant, should apply for registration with the council, under the relevant nursing practice scope.

Before applying, you need to ensure that you have the requirements to become a Nurse Practitioner, as given above. You should thoroughly go through the guidelines laid out by the council, before applying for registration.

Once the council approves your application, it will send you the details on how you can apply for a practicing certificate.

How to Become a Nurse Practitioner as a New Zealander

There are three types of nursing roles as defined by the NCNZ. They are Enrolled Nurse, Registered Nurse, and Nurse Practitioner.  Let’s look at what each nursing role needs to do to become registered as a Nurse Practitioner in New Zealand.

Nurse Practitioners: Nurse Practitioners who are already qualified need to register with the council under the relevant nursing scope. Thereafter they will be assessed by the council to determine if their qualifications and experience are up to level to work as a Nurse Practitioner in New Zealand.

Registered Nurses: Registered Nurses first need to register under the Registered Nurse scope. Thereafter, they need to complete an approved master’s degree program that includes at least 300 hours of clinical training. Once they complete the relevant education qualification and clinical experience, they need to register under the scope of Nurse Practitioner. Once their competency levels are assessed they can register with the NCNZ.

Enrolled Nurse: Applicants who are not yet Registered Nurses need to first register as Enrolled Nurses. This means that they need to be registered with their country’s nursing board and have a nursing degree that is internationally recognized. They also need to pass a test and training that is regulated by the NCNZ. Once these steps are done they become Registered Nurses and thereafter can obtain Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) to become Nurse Practitioners.

How to Become a Nurse Practitioner as an Immigrant

As an immigrant, if you have already successfully registered as a Nurse Practitioner in NZ, next you need to apply for Visa. NCNZ is quite strict on the fact that international nurses are required to completed registration prior to applying for immigration.

After your Visa is approved, you can start applying for nursing job in NZ, legally. You can use various NZ job boards to search for vacancies as an immigrants.

Nurse Practitioner Salary in New Zealand

A Qualified Nurse Practitioner with a DNP can earn a high salary with great benefits, in New Zealand. They can apply for high-paying jobs and also demand for high salaries and pay raises.

A Nurse Practitioner in New Zealand is paid an average of NZ $28 to NZ $59 an hour. This rate is very much higher than the average hourly rate of a Registered Nurse in New Zealand, which is NZ $24 to NZ $35. A Nurse Practitioner has the highest pay rates across all nursing professions in New Zealand, that averages to NZ $25.

The salary you get also depends on where in the country you work. Hospitals in metropolitan regions have high pay rates than medical centers and clinics in rural and remote regions.

Nurse Practitioners are generally required to work long hours and at times in the weekends too. This could be because they also need to mentor less experiences nurses and make various healthcare decisions as well.

Although they might work more, Nurse Practitioners in NZ have higher job satisfaction levels due to its remuneration benefits and dignity in the post.

Why Work as a Nurse Practitioner in New Zealand?

 A lot of people have more than one reason to work in New Zealand. Here are the reasons why you need to work as a Nurse Practitioner in New Zealand.

·        High remuneration benefits.

·        Increased job satisfaction levels.

·        High demand for Nurse Practitioners.

·        Opportunity to live in a country with a laid-back culture, well-balanced lifestyle, mild climatic conditions, and many exciting activities to do and adventures to partake in.

Conclusion

Working as a Nurse Practitioner in New Zealand is a rewarding career that is also highly lucrative. Irrespective of the fact that you are a local or immigrant, there are plenty of job opportunities for Nurse Practitioners in New Zealand.

If you are looking for a career in nursing, it’s about time you start working as a Nurse Practitioner in New Zealand.

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