Postgraduate study options for nurses

Health Workforce Directorate (HWD) funding for postgraduate nursing study is available to support workforce development based on population needs. 

Localities  are provided with funding from HWD to support nurses undertaking postgraduate education which prepares them to meet the challenges of a changing healthcare environment and provide enhancement of individual nursing practice. 

Information regarding eligibility, funding, and the application process can be found on the relevant Midlands region Te Whatu Ora websites below. Note each region has a different application due date. Please talk to your manager before applying. 

• Te Whatu Ora – Waikato - Applications closed 13 September 2024 for nurses who wish to apply for HWD funding to do postgraduate study in 2025. 

• Te Whatu Ora – Lakes - Lakes DHB nurses need to be registered with Ko Awatea LEARN to access the application form - find info about how to register here on our website. All applications must also have a career plan uploaded on the template provided.

• Te Whatu Ora –Taranaki - Applications closed 4pm, 30 October, for nurses who wish to apply for HWD funding to do postgraduate study in 2025.

• Te Whatu Ora - Tairāwhiti - Applications closed 3 November for nurses who wish to apply for HWD funding to do postgraduate study in 2025. 

National Mātanga Tapuhi Nurse Practitioner Training Programme (NPTP) is now accepting expressions of interest (EOI) for 2025. Allocated funding is not yet known. Read more and access the EOI form.

The Ministry of Health currently funds the NPTP as a national programme. Places are limited and change year to year. 

In 2025, six providers – Auckland University of Technology, the University of Auckland, Massey University, the University of Otago, Victoria University of Wellington and the University of Waikato – are delivering the NPTP across Aotearoa New Zealand. Nurse Practitioner training is provided through a coordinated programme between the partner universities. Nurses will apply to the programme of their choice from the approved providers to complete the NPTP.

The training programme provides increased coordination between potential NPs, their employers, tertiary education providers, and the Nursing Council of New Zealand (NCNZ). All NP trainees will apply for registration as an NP with the NCNZ by the end of the NPTP practicum year.

There are priority areas for developing the NP workforce. These include primary health care, community and residential care settings, mental health  and addiction, Māori health, Pacific health, populations with high health needs, rural and hard to reach areas communities and areas with high deprivation.

An overarching goal of the NPTP is to increase the number of Māori NPs, and the number of Pacific NPs. Ultimately, the aim is to improve equity through access to NP led services.

The NPTP offers a one-year practicum programme which is taken as the final step in a Master's degree. People who have already completed their Master's programme, including the pre-requisite courses to meet the Nursing Council of New Zealand requirements for registration as a nurse practitioner may also apply.  

There is funding to support this programme. Allocated funding is not yet known. 

Prospective NP students must complete the online application form. 

This will include providing the required supporting documents, including a signed employer declaration of support. The forms are available on the application website.    

Nurse Practitioner training has continued to evolve to respond to increasing demand within the health care sector to address health care disparities. With the investment and support of Health New Zealand  has developed a National Nurse Practitioner Training Programme which currently provides training for up to 80 –100 per year. 

If you have any queries about the programme, please contact the university of your choice, or for University of Auckland enquiries email postgradnursing@auckland.ac.nz. 

If you are of Māori or Pacific descent, or any other priority areas for improving equity in our communities, and need further support preparing the for NPTP, please get in contact with programme co-leaders Sue Adams or Josephine Davis.

Clarification of final year master’s pathway for nurse practitioners and the nationwide NPTP

Nurse practitioners (NPs) are required to have completed a master’s degree in nursing through a Nursing Council of New Zealand (NCNZ) approved pathway at an approved tertiary education provider.
There are two funding streams for nurse practitioner training:

• the NPTP national programme through the University of Auckland, Massey University, University of Otago, and Victoria University of Wellington as described above
• postgraduate nursing funding.

Nurses may complete master’s courses to register as NPs delivered through other tertiary education providers. Students attending these programmes are eligible to access Post Graduate Nursing Funding (Health Workforce Directorate funding) through their local Health New Zealand  under the direction of the Director of Nursing and their postgraduate education coordinator.

All master’s programmes that meet the requirements for registration as a NP have to meet the standards required by the NCNZ.

The introduction of a nationwide NPTP does not change the opportunity for nurses to complete their final year practicum courses through their existing tertiary education provider.

This diploma pathway is offered by a number of providers. Please see the links below for more information.

Postgraduate nursing papers and courses are available at a number of tertiary organisations. Nurses who are considering study can find out what is available using the links to providers at the base of this page.

Diabetes care and management

1. The NZ Society for the Study of Diabetes (NZSSD) offer a free on line course in diabetes management. This course aligns with the National Diabetes Nurses Knowledge and Skills Framework (2018) and addresses the fundamental level required by all health professionals to help them feel confident and effective when caring for people with diabetes, along with their whānau or family. This equates to 16 hours of learning, and a certificate is provided upon completion.
2. Wintec level 700 diabetes paper is a 12 week course suitable for all registered nurses. Offered semester 1 and semester 2 in Hamilton with 3 days face to face workshops and additional on-line learning. This module is delivered in partnership with the Waikato Diabetes Service. It is designed to provide registered health professionals with the skill and knowledge required to provide regular care, self-management support and education to those people at risk, or with type 2 diabetes. The course content is also based on the National Diabetes Nurses Knowledge and Skills Framework (2018) and is aimed at all nurses. See the Wintec website for more details, including course fees, which are no longer funded through Pinnacle. 

Email Kathy Knight, Diabetes Clinical Specialist, or phone 027 642 5846, to discuss these courses. 

Postgraduate nursing papers and courses are available at a number of tertiary organisations. Nurses who are considering study can find out what is available using the links to providers at the base of this page.