Nursing Officers are commissioned officers in the NZ Defence Force and serve in the Royal New Zealand Nursing Corps (RNZNC) of the NZ Army. This is a defence or 'tri-service' corps.

As a Nursing Officer, your primary duty is to provide a high standard of patient care to unwell or injured NZDF staff in static facilities as well as in deployed environments, both domestically and internationally. Opportunities exist within the NZDF for many varied scopes of practice ranging from primary health through to intensive care, operating theatre, and management.

You will be expected to contribute to overseas operational missions occasionally, but, the majority of your career will involve being posted to a medical unit at one of the NZDF base facilities located near Christchurch, Wellington, Palmerston North, Waiouru or Auckland. As part of your career progression your post will be reviewed generally every three years with a possible geographical move to a different facility at that time.

Being an officer in the NZDF is to be a leader in the NZDF and as such you will be given increasing levels of responsibility throughout your career commensurate with your appointment or post. These will range from management of a clinical area to medical unit command and can lead to advancement to senior positions in the strategic management of health service support in the NZDF.

Working Environment

Nursing Officers are usually employed within service establishments, and undertake essential clinical skills maintenance within civilian clinical environments. On deployment, facilities will vary according to the tactical situation and environmental variables. Work is scheduled to meet the current requirements of the NZDF which may include extra hours and weekend work at times but this is balanced with entitlements such as time off in lieu of overtime worked.

In most locations the occupational hazards are comparable to those encountered in civilian nursing. The exception to this is deployments, where Nursing Officers encounter the same hazards and conditions as the troops with whom they serve, and may encounter less-than-ideal conditions in an austere environment. It is not unusual for a deployed Nursing Officer to work long hours, seven days a week, for extended periods.

Professional Development

The RNZNC actively supports the professional development of registered nurses within the corps which is reflected in the conditions of service which they are entitled to. There are several aspects to the health practitioner conditions of service:

1. $5000 and 10 continuing professional development days annually.
2. Access to funded post graduate study.
3. Funded membership of professional organisations.
4. Annual practicing certificate funded.
5. Participation in a professional development and recognition programme with additional remuneration available through attainment of clinical nurse specialist or nurse practitioner status.

These conditions are in addition to the standard conditions of service entitlements for an officer serving with the NZDF.

You will be required to complete military courses in leadership, management, administration, and instructional techniques in order to assist you in your progress toward greater responsibility and higher rank.

Person Specification

The NZDF requires a professional, physically fit individual who is socially interactive and has the ability to adapt quickly to evolving situations. You must be capable of leadership in a variety of environments and be open to new experiences outside those to which you are familiar.

Entry Qualifications

There are several requirements you must meet before being considered for entry to the NZDF. These are a reflection of the environments you will be expected to perform well in and the level of professional competence you will require as a registered nurse working in predominantly unsupervised positions. You will:

1. Meet NZDF medical recruitment standards.
2. Meet the Army entry fitness level.
3. Successfully complete an Officer Selection Board (OSB).
4. Either be a New Zealand citizen or demonstrate the ability to become one.
5. Be able to meet NZDF security vetting criteria.
6. Be recognised as a New Zealand Registered Nurse by the Nursing Council of New Zealand and hold an annual practicing certificate.
7. Have completed appropriate post graduate experience as a registered nurse and be capable of demonstrating a competent level of proficiency.
8. Undertake NZDF health service personnel credentialing procedures.

Recruitment

The initiation of your recruitment will be via the New Zealand Army web based recruitment application. Following an initial interview and testing by recruitment staff, your curriculum vitae will be reviewed by the DNS. You will then be invited to undertake an OSB and your initial credentialing documents will be completed.

An OSB is convened two or three times a year in order to determine the suitability of prospective recruits to undertake officer training in the NZDF. This is a week long process during which various aspects of your character along with leadership potential and ability to function within a team will be scrutinised.

If you successfully complete the OSB and are selected as appropriate, you will receive an Offer of Service which will detail your rank, seniority, length of initial engagement, remuneration and the unit to which you will be posted.

Initial Officer Training

Upon commissioning as an officer in the NZDF you will be welcomed by your new unit and administratively marched into the Defence Force, this will be followed by a short period of orientation and induction. At the next available opportunity you will attend the Officer Cadet School (NZ) for your initial military training on the Specialist Officer Induction Course (SOIC), on which you are introduced to the basics of life in the NZDF. You will learn the principles of leadership, regulations and customs of the service, safe weapons handling and life in a deployed environment. The SOIC includes a rigorous programme of fitness maintenance and enhancement.

Upon completion of the SOIC, you will be introduced to the organisational structure and history of the NZDF Health Services and the RNZNC. You will learn the skills and techniques required for effective performance as a Nursing Officer in both the static and deployed environments. You will learn what Health Service Support means, and how to manage combat casualties along with learning about the duties and responsibilities of other members of the military health team.

Your training will include instructional techniques to prepare you to participate in the training of your colleagues. You will develop your observation skills, and you will learn how to interview and counsel personnel.

You will undertake the Junior Staff Officers (JSO) course on which you will be taught the staff duties of a junior officer whilst being familiarised with the various aspects of military administration and military law.

Applications

Applicants wishing to apply as a Nursing Officer, are to Apply Online. Your application will need to be supported by a current curriculum vitae and should be forwarded to your local Recruiting Office when requested.

All applications will be treated in strict confidence and place the applicant under no obligation.