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Nursing jobs in New Zealand
Nurses are in strong demand in New Zealand at
this present time so the opportunities for migrating to New Zealand
or taking an extended working holiday there if you are a registered
nurse with good experience are many and varied. New Zealand offers
a relaxed lifestyle with a temperate climate, and is rapidly becoming
a popular destination for working holiday makers and migrants
alike.
Any registered nurse or midwife with a valid work permit who wishes
to undertake work in New Zealand as a registered nurse must first
have their credentials validated by the Nursing Council of New Zealand.
A designated overseas registration section has been set up to deal
with applications from overseas. |
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You can
contact them at:
The
Overseas Registration Co-ordinator
P.O Box 9644,
Wellington,
New Zealand
Ph: +64 4 802 0243
Fax: +64 4 801 8502
E-mail: oseas@nursingcouncil.org.nz
Website: www.nursingcouncil.org.nz
Each application received is assessed on an individual basis and
there are no reciprocal registration agreements with other countries
with the exception of Australia. For an application to be successful
there are a number of criteria that must be met which we outline
below.
The applicant must have undertaken a nursing or midwifery programme
similar to that of the same programme in New Zealand in both content
and length, and is able to demonstrate and meet the competencies
for registration.
For details about the competencies for nurses, refer to the publication
available from the Nursing Council of which you can download a PDF
version here.
For midwives, click here.
(You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view these files –
if you do not have Acrobat, you can download a free copy of the
Reader here.)
The applicant must have practiced as a registered nurse or midwife
within the last five years and the applicant must be able to demonstrate
an adequate command of the English language if English is not the
applicant’s mother tongue. Applicants that have English as
a secondary language need to complete a recognised language test
from an authorised testing center. Recognised English tests are
IELTS (International
English Language Testing System), and the OET
(Occupational English Test). Once the English exam has been undertaken
the original test result must be forwarded to the Nursing Council
directly by the testing center, as photocopies or applicant-sent
copies will not be accepted. Additionally applicants may only submit
test results for a period of up to two years from the date the exam
was taken.
If an applicant is deemed to have insufficient experience in certain
areas they may be required to undertake further training through
a Department of Nursing educational institution in New Zealand.
The responsibility lies with the applicant to arrange such training
and for notifying the Council about such arrangements. |
Applicants from Australia (NSW, QLD, ACT, S.A, VIC, and N.T) who hold a nursing
or midwifery registration in any of those states listed can apply
under the TTMRA (Trans Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1998). This
Act states that anyone registered/enrolled in Australia (from
the qualifying states) is deemed to be qualified to register in
New Zealand (and vice-versa). Contact the Nursing
Council for the appropriate application form. Applicants from
Australia from states other than those listed will have to apply
through the general overseas category. As rules and regulations
are constantly changing it is advised to enquire as to whether
additional states have become part of the reciprocal arrangement
prior to applying.
Upon
contacting the Nursing Council you will be sent the appropriate
application form and an overview of the fees that are payable.
Along with the application and your C.V. you will be expected
to provide details of your educational background, your professional
work history and any references that can validate your history.
The
application requires a processing fee for consideration. This
fee is non-refundable, even in the event of non-acceptance (you
will be provided with an up-to-date fees structure brochure when
your application form is sent to you). In addition to the application
fee there are additional costs that must be met before you are
registered to work in New Zealand. These fees include a registration
fee of NZ$30.00 and an Annual Practicing Certificate fee of NZ$45.00.
Other fees may be charged where necessary but these will be outlined
in the supporting documentation that you receive from the Nursing
Council. Do not pay any fees to third-party organisations that
fall outside the scope of the fees stated in the official Nursing
Council documentation.
As
you may have gathered this can be a lengthy process but it is
designed to ensure both the applicant and the New Zealand Health
system benefit. As such you should ensure that you have allowed
plenty of time for your application to be considered and allow
for any further correspondence that may be required to support
your application.
To help you further we have gathered together a number of resources
which will provide you with much more information about the nursing
employment scene in New Zealand - click
here
If
you're outside of New Zealand and are looking for ways to secure
a nursing job as a way into the country, we suggest you read our
'Finding Overseas Jobs' article
for tips, hints, and strategies you can use. If you need more
information about the immigration criteria for entering New Zealand,
click here.
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