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+
Assuring the competence of nurses
31
The number of New Zealand-registered
nurses has increased in recent years
in line with the increased number of
students taken into nursing programmes
when workforce shortages were an issue.
Table 6
Internationally qualifed nurses registered by country
Country
2011-2012
2012-2013
Australia
94
86
Canada
26
24
Fiji
19
13
India
331
335
Ireland
26
24
Philippines
434
531
South Africa
38
11
United Kingdom
228
177
United States
26
18
Other
82
59
Total
1,304
1,278
Registration requirements for
internationally qualifed nurses
In 2012 the Council reviewed the
registration requirements for IQNs to
ensure that they were fair, explicit and
consistent with the same standards
applying to all nurses, regardless of
where they were educated.
Following an analysis of consultation
submissions, in December 2012 the
Council gazetted new qualifcations to
come into effect from the beginning
of March 2013. To register in New
Zealand, every IQN requires:
a) Current registration with an overseas
regulatory authority; AND
b) The successful completion of a
nursing programme that is, in the
Nursing Council’s opinion, equivalent
to a three-year Bachelor degree
programme in nursing and at Level
7 on the New Zealand Qualifcations
Framework; AND
c) Two years’ post-registration nursing
practice as a registered nurse of at
least 2,500 hours within the fve years
immediately preceding the date of the
application; AND
d) At the direction of the Nursing
Council, the successful completion
of a Nursing Council-approved
competence assessment programme;
AND
e) Prescribed English language
standards.
During the year the Council dealt with
an issue with some IQNs. The Council
became aware in late 2011 that some
overseas diplomas previously considered
equivalent to a New Zealand Bachelor
degree were at Level 5 rather than Level
7 on the New Zealand Qualifcations
Framework.
Table 5
Applications for registration – internationally qualifed applicants
Scope
Applications
(s = section of HPCA Act)
Outcome
Number Registered
Registered
with
conditions
Subject
to a CAP
Not
registered
Enrolled
nurse
IQN (s15)
12
TTMR (s15)
13
Total applications
25
Registered
nurse
IQN applications (s15) 1,276
TTMR (s15)
165
Total applications
1,441
Nurse
practitioner
TTMR
1
Total applications all
scopes
1,467
1,375
92**
Reasons for non-registration: All scopes
Failure to meet English requirements
Additional evidence required
1
Convictions (s16(c))
Mental or physical condition (s16(d))
Failed to meet educational equivalence (s15(2))
81
Not found competent to practise
9
Danger to health and safety (s16(h))
1
* CAP = Competence Assessment Programme
** This number is not the difference between the number of applications and the number of nurses registered as some
applications may be in progress or withdrawn.