Travel Nursing in New Zealand

Travel Nursing in New Zealand

Travel Nursing in New Zealand is a popular option for those seeking breathtaking scenery, lifechanging experiences and a quirky dialect of the English language. Known as one of the most beautiful places in the world, New Zealand has 2 main islands and 600 lesser known smaller islands.

As one of the last places to be settled by humans, the biodiversity of plants and animals is simply extraordinary including the flightless kiwi bird and almost half of the world’s whale & dolphin sightings. The geography of New Zealand is heavily influenced by the tectonic plates and its location in the Pacific Rim’s Ring of Fire. Because of this, the landscape consists of picturesque sharp mountain peaks overlooking the pure blue of the South Pacific.

Travel Nursing in New Zealand is a little bit different than travel nursing elsewhere. Like Australia, a majority of the charting in New Zealand hospitals still use paper charting. While this makes it easy to adapt to different hospitals, the handwriting can sometimes be very difficult to read.

Nurses traveling from the US or Canada have noted that nurses aren’t asked to do as much across the Pacific. Being able to IVs, venipuncture, and catheterizations will make you stand out as a nurse in New Zealand.

In terms of getting ready for travel nursing in New Zealand, the longest part is getting your Nursing license. First register with the Nursing Council of New Zealand. To register with the Nursing Council of New Zealand you must perform the following steps:

1. Prove your identity with a Passport & proof of registration in all the countries you’re registered to be a nurse in.

If you’ve changed your name since getting your Passport you must prove you did so with a marriage certificate. If you’re applying for an English language waiver, you must provide photo identification like your Driver’s License for example

2. Pass one of the two English Language tests before your registration (OET or IELTS)

If you’re from the US, Canada, the UK, or Ireland, or have worked in any of those countries you can request for a waiver of the English language standard with your Driver’s License or Identification Card. Anybody can take the test in any country, but you have to provide a certified copy of your results to the Nursing Council of New Zealand. The English assessment must be less than 3 years old at the time of your application. You can achieve the minimum score in more than one sitting, but the tests have to be taken at most 12 months apart

• A certified copy is a photocopy that has been stamped by one who is authorized by law to do so

3. Prove that your Nursing qualifications match those of New Zealand

You’re required to have a Bachelor’s degree or higher. If your program wasn’t as extensive as New Zealand’s criteria, a condition might be put on your license to limit the scope of your practice. If your program doesn’t offer courses in mental health you will be limited to general and not permitted to practice in a mental health setting. If you’ve completed any graduate work, let the Nursing Council of New Zealand know and they’ll email you a transcript request form. You’ll fill out the top of that form, and your school will have to fill out the bottom portion. . Evidence of accreditation may have to be available upon the Council’s request

4. Provide evidence of your current Nursing License

A verification form will be emailed to you upon your online application’s completion. The top portion must be filled out by you and the bottom portion must be filled out by your Nursing Regulatory Authority. You must fill out 1 Verification Form for each country you’ve been licensed in for the last 10 years

• The Nursing Regulatory Authority will send your form as the Nursing Council of New Zealand does not accept these forms from applicants

5. Provide evidence of your post graduate experience

You must have at least 2 years of nursing experience over the last 5 years.The 5 years are counted from the date of the registration with the Nursing Council of New Zealand. You must supply a certified copy of your certificate of employment that is an original copy on letterhead paper and is signed and dated by your employer (HR or Senior Staff Member)

• Includes the writer’s full name, work email, and postal address

1. Includes your name, DOB, registration number, and your role
2. Includes the start and end dates of your employment
3. Includes the number of clinical practice hours you completed throughout your employment

6. You must provide a CV (Curriculum Vitae)

• Your CV must include professional details such as your education, registration(s), and employment history
• Please provide explanations for gaps in your employment history. Failing to do so can you will prolong the application process at least
• Sign & Date your CV if you didn’t prepare it yourself

7. Demonstrate fitness to practice

• You have to let the Nursing Council of New Zealand know of any mental/physical conditions that may affect your ability to perform your duties
  • If so, provide a letter giving all necessary details and put the letter in an envelope addressed to the Registrant Quality Manager and mark the letter as “Private & Confidential”
• You have to tell them of any professional or disciplinary issues
  • Any disciplinary matters with any regulatory agency
  • Or any criminal proceedings /convictions
• For internationals The Nursing Council of New Zealand will ask that you pass the International Criminal History Check (ICHC) for every country that you have lived in for more than 12 months
  • If you lived in Australia for over 6 months you have to complete an Australian Criminal Background Check you can find here
• If you give false information the Nursing Council of New Zealand can cancel your license at any time

• If you’re not a registered nurse in the US, UK, England, Australia Singapore, or Canada you’ll have to pass a Competence Assessment Program (CAP) that’s usually 6-8 weeks long.
• If you’re registered as a nurse in Australia the Trans-Tasman Agreement makes it really easy to become a Nurse in New Zealand
  • Complete the application form and attach all the certified copies of your passport, registration certificates and current practicing certificates
    • Request your certificate of registration status from the AHPRA here

Travel nursing in New Zealand requires a work visa. Fortunately for nurses, you are in very high demand in New Zealand as the current nursing shortage exists in New Zealand too! If you want to get started with travel nursing in New Zealand, get started on your application process as that takes a lot longer than the visa process.