Nursing in New Zealand

Nurse Practitioners

The Nurse Practitioner is a highly educated and experienced health professional working to improve health and to reduce inequalities in health. He or she is a key component of the health and disability workforce of the future, one who has the potential to improve health status and to reduce the national burden of chronic disease. Nurse Practitioners can assist in realising the NZ Disability Strategy’s vision of a non-disabling society.

Nurse Practitioner Employment and Development Working Party

Great progress has been made in the education, training and professional development of the Nurse Practitioner. In response to the identified need to stimulate the sector to recognise the potential of the Nurse Practitioner workforce, the Nurse Practitioner Employment and Development Working Party was established by the Minister of Health in June 2005 and was disestablished on completion of its tasks in December 2006.

Nurse Practitioner Facilitation Programme

In its September 2006 Report to the Minster of Health, the Nurse Practitioner Employment and Development Working Party identified the need for a Nurse Practitioner Facilitation Programme (NPF Programme). The Ministry of Health and District Health Boards New Zealand (DHBNZ) agreed to transition the implementation of the NPF Programme to District Health Boards (DHBs). The DHBNZ Nursing and Midwifery Workforce Strategy Group leads implementation of the Programme via the Nurse Practitioner Facilitation Programme Steering Group.

DVD: Nurse Practitioner - a healthy future

The Nurse Practitioner DVD profiles two Nurse Practitioners (NPs) in different settings, one in rural Northland and one based at Palmerston North Hospital. The film lasts for 10 minutes, and is recommended viewing for employers, nurses, NPs and consumers of health care services in New Zealand.

More information

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Page last updated: 11 December 2009