Registered Nurse - Emergency Department

Location: Hutt Hospital 

Contract: Fixed term to cover maternity leave, x3 part time contracts available, one for 6 months (0.8FTE) one for 9 months  (0.9FTE) and one for a year (0.8FTE)

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 RN works with the scope of a RN as introduced by the Nursing Council of New Zealand (NCNZ 2025). Registered nurses are accountable and responsible for their nursing practice, ensuring that all health care provided is consistent with their education, assessed competence, relevant legislative requirements and is guided by the NCNZ standards for registered nurses. 

Registered nurses use substantial scientific and nursing knowledge to inform comprehensive assessments, determine health needs, develop differential diagnoses, plan care and determine appropriate interventions. Interventions are evaluated to assess care outcomes based on clinical judgement and scientific and professional knowledge. 

Registered nurse practise independently and in collaboration with individuals, their whānau, communities and the inter-professional healthcare team, to deliver equitable person/whānau/whakapapa-centred nursing care across the life span in all settings. Registered nurses may also use their expertise I areas and roles such as leadership, management, education, policy and research. 

The Registered Nurse in the Emergency Department provides high-quality emergency nursing care to people presenting with undifferentiated illness and injury in a dynamic, fast paced environment. The RN is responsible for delivering safe, timely, evidence-based care while responding to rapidly changing patient needs and maintaining a patient and whanau centred approach. 

About the Team/Service/ Location 

Hutt Hospital is a busy 260-bed secondary care facility serving the Lower and Upper Hutt communities and is the regional centre for Plastics, Maxillofacial and Burns Services, Rheumatology, Dental Services, Regional Public Health, and the National Breast and Cervical Screening Services. 

The Emergency Department is a Level 4 emergency care facility managing approximately 

80,000 patient presentations annually. Services include a 10-bed Minor Injuries Unit and The Tree Hutt, a dedicated paediatric distraction therapy area designed to provide a calming, child-friendly environment for children awaiting assessment and treatment. 

The Emergency Department serves a diverse population with a high proportion of Māori and Pacific peoples alongside a growing older population with increasingly complex health needs. Nurses recognise the impact of health inequities, chronic disease, socioeconomic deprivation, and barriers to accessing primary care, and provide culturally safe, equitable and compassionate care that responds to these factors. 

Registered Nurses assess, prioritise and manage a broad spectrum of presentations including, but not limited to: 

• Major and minor trauma, including occupational injuries, falls and motor vehicle accidents. 
• Acute medical emergencies including cardiac, neurological, respiratory, infectious and endocrine conditions. 
• Mental health and behavioural emergencies requiring skilled assessment, de-escalation, risk management and multidisciplinary collaboration. 
• Paediatric emergencies including acute illness, injury and family-centred care. 
• Care of older people with frailty, complex comorbidities and acute deterioration. 

The Emergency Department requires nurses to demonstrate advanced clinical assessment, rapid decision-making, critical thinking and effective prioritisation within a high-acuity environment. Registered Nurses work collaboratively with medical staff, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, healthcare assistants, allied health professionals, administration staff and volunteers to provide coordinated, efficient and high-quality emergency care. 

Leadership of the department is provided by the Nurse Manager and the Clinical Head of Emergency Medicine, who work in partnership to oversee the operational management, strategic direction and continuous improvement of emergency services. 

The department is accredited by the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine (ACEM) to provide the maximum two years of advanced Emergency Medicine training, reflecting the department's commitment to clinical excellence, education and research. 

Hutt Hospital Emergency Department is committed to developing advanced nursing practice and provides structured educational programmes, professional development pathways and opportunities for nurses to progress into advanced clinical, education and leadership roles. Registered Nurses are expected to actively participate in ongoing professional development, quality improvement activities, evidence-based practice and service innovation to continually improve patient outcomes. 

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 Health New Zealand |Te Whatu Ora Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley as a centre of excellence for nursing practice. 

The RN working hours will be rostered and rotating and may work across the district as required due to patient safety and workforce necessities. 

About you

Essential: 

• 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 

 Desired: 

• Experience in implementing Te Tiriti o Waitangi in action. 
• 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 
• Respect and collaboration in practice 
• Delivering an exemplary standard of care 
• Practice informed by research evidence 
• Innovation and critical thinking 

Essential: 

• Demonstrate 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 your role. 
• With the support of Health NZ, proactively take care of your own health and safety, to ensure a safe and supportive work environment. 
• Maximise the quality and contributions of individuals and teams to achieve the organisation’s vision, purpose and goals. 
• Establish and maintain positive working relationships with people at all levels within the public and private sectors, related industry and community interest groups and the wider national and international communities. 
• Demonstrate a strong drive to deliver and take personal responsibility. 
• Demonstrate self-awareness of your impact on people and invests in your own leadership practice to continuously grow and improve. 
• Demonstrate the highest standards of personal, professional and institutional behaviour through commitment, loyalty and integrity. 

Desired: 

• NZRC advance level 6 
• Australasian Triage 

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.

Position description Apply now

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