September 06, 2022
Cultural safely lessons for new foreign nurses
The Nursing Council wants to make Te Tiriti o Waitangi and cultural safety part of the induction of internationally trained nurses who want to work in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Those subjects will be included in a compulsory learning module to be introduced in 2024 alongside an initial online test and a clinical exam.
Te Kaunihera Tapuhi o Aotearoa chief executive Catherine Byrne says requiring all nurses to complete a learning module helps ensure that from day one they understand the unique environment, culture, and expectations of nursing in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The new model of directly assessing nursing competence will cut out some of the current steps, such requiring a minimum number of recent practice hours.
The council will work with the sector and national and international experts over the next 15 months to develop detailed elements of the new model.