What is a Nurse Practitioner?
Nurse Practitioners in New Zealand
Who are Nurse Practitioners?
Good question! Nurse Practitioners are highly skilled autonomous skilled health practitioners who have advanced education, clinical training and demonstrated competency. Nurse practitioners combine their advanced nursing knowledge and skills with diagnostic reasoning and therapeutic knowledge. They provide care for people with both common and complex conditions.
How many Nurse Practitioners are there in NZ?
There are now over 650 Nurse Practitioners working across New Zealand within a wide range of clinical settings.
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Can Nurse Practitioners prescribe medication?
Yes! Nurse practitioners, with advanced nursing qualifications and experience, are authorised prescribers under the Medicines Act NZ alongside doctors, dentists, midwives, and optometrists. Nurse practitioners evaluate, diagnose, prescribe, treat and plan care accordingly. They prescribe medicines within their area of competence with the same authority as medical practitioners.
What areas of healthcare do NP's work in?
Nurse practitioners work across a wide range of health care settings and can influence health services and the wider profession.
Nurse practitioners may admit and discharge people from hospital and other health care services. They are involved in research, have leadership roles, and supervise and mentor other senior nurses.
What training do Nurse Practitioners receive?
To register in the Nurse Practitioner scope of practice the following qualifications are required.
Registration with the Nursing Council in the registered nurse scope of practice.
A minimum of four years’ experience in a specific area of practice.
The completion of an approved clinical master’s degree which includes the demonstration of the competencies for advanced practice and prescribing applied within a defined area of practice of the nurse practitioner. The programme must include relevant theory or concurrent practice or the completion of an overseas clinically focused master’s degree qualification which meets the requirements specified above.
Passing an assessment by an approved panel against the nurse practitioner’s competencies.
A minimum of 300 hours’ clinical supervision.