Tapuhi Kua Whakauru
Enrolled nurse
The Enrolled Nurse Scope of Practice is being updated.
There will be a revised scope statement, education standards, and competencies which will mean changes in practice for enrolled nurses.
The Council acknowledges the work of the sector design group, which includes enrolled nurses, employers, representatives from NZNO’s EN section, Te Poari o Te Rūnanga o Aotearoa, and educators in developing this new scope of practice.
You can find further information by clicking on the following links:
Current Scope of Practice
Enrolled nurses practise under the direction and delegation of a registered nurse or nurse practitioner to deliver nursing care and health education across the life span to health consumers in community, residential or hospital settings.
Enrolled nurses contribute to nursing assessments, care planning, implementation and evaluation of care for health consumers and/or families/whanau. The registered nurse maintains overall responsibility for the plan of care.
Enrolled nurses assist health consumers with the activities of daily living, observe changes in health consumers’ conditions and report these to the registered nurse, administer medicines and undertake other nursing care responsibilities appropriate to their assessed competence.
In acute settings, enrolled nurses must work in a team with a registered nurse who is responsible for directing and delegating nursing interventions.
In some settings, enrolled nurses may coordinate a team of health care assistants under the direction and delegation of a registered nurse.
In some settings, enrolled nurses may work under the direction and delegation of a registered health practitioner.* In these situations, the enrolled nurse must have registered nurse supervision and must not assume overall responsibility for nursing assessment or care planning.
Enrolled nurses are accountable for their nursing actions and practise competently in accordance with legislation, to their level of knowledge and experience. They work in partnership with health consumers, families/whanau and multidisciplinary teams.
The Nursing Council's Competencies for Enrolled Nurses describe the skills, knowledge and activities of enrolled nurses.
For more information, see the documents in the right hand downloads column on this page.
*A health practitioner is a person who is registered under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 – for example, a midwife, medical practitioner, or occupational therapist.
Qualifications
Enrolled nurses graduating in New Zealand
Enrolled nurses who qualify in New Zealand must:
- successfully complete an 18-month programme in enrolled nursing at level 5 on the National Qualifications Framework and accredited by the Nursing Council;
- pass an assessment by an approved provider of the Nursing Council's competencies for enrolled nurses;
- pass an examination for enrolled nurses.
Nurses from outside New Zealand
To practise in New Zealand, nurses from outside New Zealand must:
- be registered with an overseas regulatory authority; and
- have an international qualification that is equivalent to a qualification prescribed by the Nursing Council of New Zealand.
Overseas applicants may also be required to:
- pass an assessment of the Nursing Council competencies for enrolled nurses by an approved provider; and/or
- successfully complete a programme approved by the Nursing Council for the purpose of assessing competencies for enrolled nurses.