A Nurse Practitioner is a registered nurse practising at an advanced level in a specific area of practice. Nurse Practitioners were first introduced in New Zealand in 2000.
Nurse Practitioners must have:
- Prepared at Master’s level of education
- Been approved and registered by the Nursing Council of New Zealand as a Nurse Practitioner.
The Nurse Practitioner title is protected and may be used only by those nurses formally registered by the Nursing Council.
Nurse Practitioners combine the roles of:
- practitioner
- mentor
- teacher
- researcher
- administrator.
Nurse practitioners may choose to prescribe medicines within their specific area of practice. Nurse Practitioners can be authorised to prescribe under the Medicines (Designated Prescriber: Nurse Practitioners) Regulations 2005 and the Misuse of Drugs Amendment Regulations 2005.
NZNO Nurse Practitioner Mentor Programme
The Nurse Practitioner Mentor Guideline NPAC-NZ provides guidance for mentors and mentorees:
If you wish to contact a mentor via NZNO please email Hilary Graham-Smith, NZNO Associate Professional Services Manager on hilaryg@nzno.org.nz.
More resources for Nurse Practitioners
Click either image to view the whole document.
1. So you want to become a Nurse Practitioner?
2. Top Tips for Portfolio Development
