Nursing

Nursing is a great career option in the Wairarapa. If you are looking to develop your career, maintain your skills, or re-enter the workforce Wairarapa has many options.

Nurses work where ever there is a need, from acute practice like the Emergency Department, High Dependency Unit, operating theatre and paediatric unit, to front-line work in medical practices, schools, wards, clinics, marae and people's homes. If you prefer, there are opportunities in areas where longer-term professional care is required, like rehabilitation,  mental health, child and public health.

A number of Clinical Nurse Specialist roles are available at Wairarapa Hospital in areas such as acute pain, stomatherapy, palliative care, cardiac, respiratory and diabetes. There are also Nurse Educators in both primary and secondary care, and most recently, the development of the Nurse Practitioner role in the South Wairarapa. Of note, currently two senior Practice Nurses serve on the District Health Board.

Teamwork and collaboration are an integral part of our practice, and with the Wairarapa's reputation for 'thinking outside the box', you may find yourself working with some non-traditional partners as we work together for a 'Well Wairarapa."

Wairarapa DHB has approximately 220 nurses and midwives, and many more are employed in the primary, aged care and private sectors. 

There is a local 3 year Bachelor of Nursing programme run through the UCOL campus in Masterton, and many of the first group or graduates are now employed in the Wairarapa.

Nursing development

Nurses in the Wairarapa have regular opportunities to meet to share experience and learning to advance their practice. The Professional Development and Recognition Programme (PDRP) is the formal programme we use to achieve our aim of providing excellent patient care. Each year, we celebrate the achievements of Wairarapa nurses at an annual forum coinciding with international nurses and midwives days.

The PDRP:

• Provides structured support, learning and feedback to assist nurses develop the knowledge and skills to provide safe effective patient/consumer care.
• Enables the development of a range of transferable clinical and personal skills.
• Encourages and values nurses who can effectively and accurately initiate care, anticipate and prevent complications to meet the needs of patients/consumers.
• Is a risk management tool that seeks to minimise risk by ensuring staff know the standard of care required in the speciality and that care is provided by those competent.
• Differentiates nursing practice through the Levels of Practice to ensure the right nurse plans, implements, evaluates and delegates patient/consumer care to achieve best patient/consumer outcomes.

The PDRP applies to all nurses employed by the WDHB and requires all nurses to maintain an up-to-date professional portfolio, to the level of competent practitioner.

The PDRP includes processes of:

• preceptorship for all new staff
• supervision and support
• inservice education; and
• opportunities to engage in post-graduate education.

Through these processes the PDRP offers nurses:

• a clinical career pathway
• support to develop specialty skills and knowledge
• recognition of clinical knowledge and skills through the Levels of Practice process; regular performance feedback and support to achieve career goals.

New Zealand professional registration information