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The Conversation
The Conversation
Deborah L Harris, Associate Professor Nursing, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

Nurse practitioners can ease NZ’s healthcare pressures – why is the role not better recognised or funded?

Nurse New Zealand GPS

New Zealand’s health system is grappling with a severe workforce shortage. Media reports frequently highlight individuals and families being unable to access timely healthcare, exacerbated by a shortage of general practitioners (GPs) and overflowing emergency departments.

But one potential solution to the ongoing crisis – the greater use of nurse practitioners (NPs) – is conspicuously absent from the government’s 2024 health policy statement.

Nurse practitioners are highly skilled nurses with advanced education (a minimum of a masters degree), clinical training and experience. They have the legal authority to practice beyond the level of a registered nurse.

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