Advice for Aspiring Nurse Practitioners

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

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1. So you want to become a Nurse Practitioner?

Steps to becoming a Nurse Practitioner

2. Top Tips for Portfolio Development