Nurse Practitioners in New Zealand publication

Nurse Practitioners in New Zealand
Date of publication: July 2002

Nurse Practitioners in New Zealand

Nurse Practitioners in New Zealand is a resource document, which provides the health sector with information on the role, and guidance on the development and implementation of nurse practitioners in New Zealand.

The development of the nurse practitioner role in New Zealand is a reflection of several years of planning based on extensive consultation with the nursing sector and the evidence available both in New Zealand and overseas. Nurse practitioners are not new. They already practice in the United States, Canada and Europe. International research shows that nurse practitioner services provide benefits to consumers and the health sector and improve health outcomes in a cost-effective way.

Nurse practitioners are registered nurses, prepared at master’s level, and with significant experience in a specific scope of practice. The Nursing Council of New Zealand has developed a framework for the regulation of nurse practitioners and has an approval process in place.

New Zealand nurse practitioners will improve health outcomes for consumers by complementing the role of other health professionals. The role provides for innovative ways of reaching communities and meeting health needs across all sectors, as well as building on and complementing existing services.

The nurse practitioner role provides a new career pathway for nurses and will contribute significantly to the retention of expert clinical nurses in New Zealand.

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This publication is available in hard copy. To order a copy email moh@wickliffe.co.nz or call 04 496 2277. Please let us know your name, your physical address and how many copies you would like.

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