Nursing Council Annual Report 2025: Upholding standards for
safe, effective care
The Nursing Council of New Zealand has released its Annual Report for the year
ended 31 March 2025, reflecting a year of significant progress in nursing
regulation. With over 85,000 nurses registered and holding annual practising
certificates, the Council continued to set robust standards for education,
clinical practice, and conduct, ensuring nurses are competent and fit to
practise.
Key highlights include:
- An 8.6% annual increase in the nursing workforce, with
16,785 nurses added to the register this year.
- Major updates to scopes of practice and standards of
competence for registered and enrolled nurses, strengthening clinical,
relational, and cultural skills.
- Introducing a standardised objective competence assessment for
registering internationally qualified nurses (IQNs) and streamlining processes with
a record number of IQNs registered.
- Commencing new projects to expand the nurse practitioner
workforce and nurse prescribers, supporting timely access to quality
healthcare.
- Ongoing commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi to promote
equitable outcomes for Māori and strengthen cultural safety in nursing
practice.
- A focus on efficiency and cost-effectiveness, with no
increase to annual practising fees and maintaining a contractual relationship
to support smaller health regulators.
The Council’s evidence-based, right-touch approach ensures
regulation remains proportionate to risk and responsive to the evolving health
landscape. Read the full Annual Report to learn more about the Council’s
achievements, priorities, and vision for the future of nursing in New Zealand.
Read the Annual Report 2025