Registered nurse
Also known as
Work environment
- Usually work shifts, including early mornings, nights and weekends
- Usually work in hospitals, health centres and aged care facilities
- May do emotionally demanding work
- Need to be safety conscious, communicate well and identify and solve problems
Salary information
Typical tasks
- Monitor and assess patients
- Plan and provide nursing care
- Develop health care plans
- Provide medicine and treatment for patients
- Manage patient records
- Support patients to manage their health
- Educate people about health
- Assign work to enrolled nurses and health care assistants
- Train and guide other health care staff
- Stay up to date with nursing knowledge and research
Outlook
Healthcare demand in New Zealand continues to be influenced by an ageing population, changing health needs and ongoing workforce planning. Nursing remains central to how healthcare is delivered across the country. Globally, digital health technologies, telehealth, preventative care and more personalised approaches to healthcare are influencing how nursing services continue to evolve and support patient outcomes.
What employers and industry want in graduates
- Strong communication with patients and healthcare teams
- Ability to stay calm under pressure
- Attention to detail and clinical accuracy
- Empathy and respect for diverse communities
- Teamwork and collaboration skills
- Willingness to learn and adapt to new technologies
Professional registration
Nursing Council of New Zealand
registration@nursingcouncil.org.nz
04 385 9589
AUT programmes
The above is a suggestion only and a starting point. You may need to meet other criteria or take additional steps to work in this career.
Further study options
Content is reviewed by our experts, but information can change over time. Some content is created with AI support.
This data is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahtu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. Some of the information has been modified by AUT. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this data.