Registered Nurse – Emergency Department

Location: Hutt Hospital

Contract: Permanent, Part Time 0.8 FTE Rostered and Rotating

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is dedicated to serving all New Zealanders. Through integration and collaboration, we’re building a health system underpinned by partnership, equity, sustainability, whānau-centred care, and excellence. 

About the Role:

The Registered Nurse (RN) role is to meet the needs of people and whanau accessing our services using contemporary nursing care which is safe, appropriate and effective. The care is based on comprehensive assessment, ensures continuity, and is person/whānau centred, culturally appropriate and evidence-based. Quality improvement and patient safety is an important part of this role.

All nurses employed by Te Whatu Ora will have Registration with the New Zealand Nursing Council and maintain a current annual practising certificate as a Registered Nurse. Application onto the Hutt Valley district Professional Development and Recognition Programme (PDRP) at competent, proficient or expert level is required. The PDRP is integral in assessing and monitoring the nursing skill levels.

It is the nurse’s responsibility to ensure that they attend the generic orientation, yearly core competencies and maintain area-specific competency requirements. They will access policy and procedures and work within the Hutt Valley District nursing and midwifery standards & criteria of care and professional practice.

The RN will respond to the changing needs of the district, performing other tasks as required. The RN is expected to contribute to the implementation of District and nursing goals and values, and to promote Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley as a centre of excellence for nursing practice. The salary range for this role is $81,683 - $106,739 NZNO Registered Nurse MECA based on experience/ pro rata.

About the Team/Service/ Location 

Hutt Hospital is a busy 260-bed facility providing secondary services for Lower and Upper Hutt cities.

Hutt Hospital is the centre for five tertiary regional and sub-regional services - Plastics, Maxillofacial and Burns Services Rheumatology Dental Services Regional Public Health and Regional (Breast and Cervical) Screening Services. The Emergency Department (ED) is a Level 4 emergency care facility, managing approximately 80,000 patient presentations each year.

Our services include a 10-bed Minor Injuries Unit and “The Tree Hutt,” a specialised distraction therapy area designed to provide a calming and child-friendly space for paediatric patients while they wait for care.

The ED serves a diverse population, with a high proportion of Maori and Pasifika patients, alongside a growing elderly population with complex, long-term health needs. Socioeconomic disparities contribute to increased ED presentations, often involving acute conditions that could have been managed earlier in primary care. Hutt Valley ED sees a greater number of cases linked to chronic conditions, social determinants of health, and barriers to primary care access.

Common presentations include:

• Trauma: Accidents and falls are particularly common, given the variety of activities people in the area may engage in, from work-related injuries to road traffic accidents.
• Medical Conditions: These are often acute in nature and can cover anything from heart attacks and strokes to severe infections or complications from chronic conditions (e.g., diabetes, asthma).
• Mental Health Issues: Mental health crises, such as anxiety, depression, and suicidal tendencies, have been growing concerns for many EDs, including at Hutt, where they often require immediate intervention to ensure patient safety.
• Paediatric Cases: The ED also sees many younger patients, especially with illnesses like viral respiratory infections, dehydration, or injuries from play or accidents.

Leadership is provided by the Nurse Manager and Clinical Head of Emergency Medicine, who work in partnership to oversee the department’s daily operations and strategic direction of the ED.

The team consists of medical professionals, registered nurses, healthcare assistants, administrative personnel and volunteers (Friends of the emergency department, FEDs).

Hutt Hospital's Emergency Department (ED) teams must remain highly adaptable to the wide range of patient presentations and the diverse demographics they encounter. Given the high proportion of Maori, Pasifika, and elderly patients with complex health needs, the team must be responsive to cultural, social, and medical factors that influence care.

In addition the team are required to stay updated on the latest care techniques and be ready to handle the complexities of their diverse population. This adaptability ensures that Hutt ED delivers effective and compassionate care for all who seek help. The department is accredited by the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine (ACEM) to provide the maximum two years of advanced training in Emergency Medicine, reflecting its high standards in clinical care and education.

Hutt ED takes pride in its support for advanced nursing roles and offers well-established pathways and educational opportunities to foster professional development. These programs empower staff to grow their skills, advance their careers, and step into leadership positions, ensuring ongoing excellence in emergency care delivery.

About you 

• Registration with Nursing Council of New Zealand (NCNZ)
• A current Annual Practicing Certificate (APC) and scope appropriate to place of work
• Demonstrates an understanding of the significance of and obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, including how to apply Te Tiriti principles in a meaningful way in the nursing role
• A commitment to achieving equitable outcomes for Māori
• A personal commitment to on-going learning and development including attainment/maintenance of PDRP
• NZRC advance level 6 / Australasian Triage Qualification (not essential)

Someone well-suited to the role will place a high value on the following:

• Commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi
• Living the District values
• Respect and collaboration in practice
• Delivering an exemplary standard of care 
• Practice informed by research evidence
• Innovation and critical thinking
• Commitment to sustainable practice

Working at Health New Zealand 

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is ‘the weaving of wellness’. We're dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of Aotearoa/New Zealand. 

Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Health New Zealand are committed to being good employers and honouring our equal employment opportunity obligations. We embrace diversity and welcome application from all people, including all gender identities, ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and disability. A workforce that is diverse and inclusive means that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We are pro-equity health organisation, with a particular focus on Māori, Pacific Peoples, and the Disability Community. 

How to Apply 

To apply please click “apply now.” All applications must be submitted through our online careers’ portal. If you have any questions about the role, please contact Deb.Brodie@TeWhatuora.govt.nz

We will review applications as received and may proceed with the recruitment process, before the closing date of this advertisement.