Nurse Practitioners in New Zealand

Nurse Practitioner Employment and Development Working Party

The Facilitation Programme

The Nurse Practitioner Employment and Development Working Party identified that Nurse Practitioners have a key role to play in improving health status, reducing inequalities, reducing the national burden of chronic disease and in supporting the independent living of people with disabilities. At the time there were 26 NPs registered in New Zealand, with only 16 being in employment which fully used their training and skills.

One of the key strategies recommended by the NPE+D Working Party in its Report presented to the Minister of Health, was the establishment of a Facilitation Programme for Nurse Practitioners. The Minister gave this his support. The Facilitation Programme is to be implemented by DHBNZ, expected to start in late January 2007.

DHBNZ plans to appoint, as part of the Nursing and Midwifery Workforce Strategy Group, a Steering Group to take a leadership and guidance role in the implementation of the programme. This Steering Group will comprise representative Directors of Nursing, members from the Working Party, and a Funding and Planning Manager.

Effectiveness of the Facilitation Programme will be measured in many ways, including;

• the increase in the number of Nurse Practitioners employed in suitable roles
• the increase in the expected number of NP positions identified in the 2008/09 District Annual Plans of DHBs
• the increased awareness of Primary Health Organisations and Non-Government Organisations of the advantages of NPs.

Other achievements of the Working Party included the development of papers on Flexible Funding Options for Nurse Practitioner Employment and a discussion paper on Funding Nurse Practitioner Training.

Page last updated: 23 January 2007