IQN Consultation 2022:
We are seeking your views
Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa.
First and foremost, we would like to acknowledge and thank the nursing profession for your continued work during these unprecedented and challenging times, as you provide safe, high-quality care to all of us in Aotearoa New Zealand.
For some time, the Nursing Council has been considering how to ensure that the way we assess and register internationally qualified nurse (IQN) applicants is as good as it can be. In doing this we are conscious of the need to meet several goals. We need to ensure that our processes are fair and not overly burdensome for potential registrants. We also need to be confident that our processes accurately evaluate the competence of applicants to practice in the Aotearoa New Zealand context. And finally, in keeping with our statutory purpose, our processes must attest to a sufficient standard of practice that will protect the health and safety of the public.
Internationally qualified nurses are an important and valuable part of the nursing workforce, making up approximately 30% of all nurses. In this consultation, we are proposing a range of changes to how we assess the competence of our IQN applicants, including some changes to our English Language Standard.
Please note that our consultation has closed.
Thank you for sharing your views with us. We are currently working through the feedback we have received, and will provide updates soon.
Please note that these changes will take time to fully consider, confirm and implement. If you would like to register with us, please proceed with your application as normal. We have some information available here (click to follow link) or please reach out to the team at [email protected] if you have any questions. Thank you.