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Nursing graduate programmes

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Nursing graduate programmes

Te Whatu Ora Waikato nurse entry to practice (NETP), nurse entry to specialty practice (NESP), and enrolled nurse support in practice (ENSIPP) programmes are a supported transition to the role of Registered Nurse (RN)/Enrolled Nurse (EN). We select new graduate nurses from New Zealand training centres through the ACE recruitment programme.

Programme support is provided by the following staff, as well as local area support from the graduate’s clinical nurse manager, preceptor, and educator.

Karyn Cunningham
Nurse Coordinator New Graduate Programmes

Jade Longmore, Erin Foster, Simone Tutahi, Pushpa Rani, Erana Giddens
Nurse Educators - New Graduate Programmes

Alex Rudolf-Gatien, Chelsea Wallace, Marama Harris
Nurse Educators – Mental Health and Addictions Services (NESP)

Erin Foster
Nurse Educator – New Graduate Programmes - ENSIPP

Chris Baker
Nurse Consultant, Cultural Workforce Development

Tess Hawkins
Nurse Educator – Cultural Support

We have multiple intakes throughout the year.

Mid 2024 intakes
ACE opens Interviews at Waikato Graduate intake start dates
3 April 2024 Professional conversation (No interviews) 9 September 2024

New Graduate Registered Nurse Positions available for this intake:

  • Medical & Emergency – 11
  • Regional Renal & Oncology – 5
  • Surgical – 16
  • Critical & Cardiac Care – 9
  • Peri-op – 7
  • Outpatients – 1
  • Older persons and Rehabilitation – 5
  • Neonates/Paediatrics – 7
  • Women’s Health – 2
  • Rural Thames – 3
  • Southern Rural & Community – 7
  • Mental Health & Addictions – 10
Early 2025 Intake
ACE opens Interviews at Waikato Graduate intake start dates
7 August 2025 Professional conversation (No interviews) 10 February 2025

Positions available for this intake:

We are hoping to have positions for the following clinical areas however numbers have not been confirmed at this time.

  • Medical & Emergency
  • Regional Renal & Oncology
  • Surgical
  • Critical & Cardiac Care
  • Peri-op
  • Outpatients  
  • Older persons and Rehabilitation  
  • Neonates/Paediatrics
  • Women’s Health
  • Rural Thames
  • Southern Rural & Community
  • Mental Health & Addictions

Applications to Te Whatu Ora Waikato NETP and NESP programmes must be made through the ACE programme, and all information about eligibility and the ACE process can be found by clicking the ACE icon below.

Te Whatu Ora Waikato holds a professional conversation for the programme to any successful applicants.

Te Whatu Ora Waikato holds a professional conversation instead of interviews.

ACE Nursing

Information about the next NETP/NESP intake at Te Whatu Ora Waikato.

ACE Enrolled Nurse

Information about applying for ENSIPP through ACE.

We do not offer postgraduate papers for our NETP new graduate programme however our programme is equivalent to a 30 point paper and these points are accredited on enrolment with the University of Waikato in your RN2 year.  This will be discussed in the professional conversations before employment and also within orientation.

Graduates are welcomed onto to Te Whatu Ora Waikato with a formal whakatau process and receive both organisational and NETP/NESP specific orientation days, as well as local area training. This provides an introduction to the key aspects of nursing at Te Whatu Ora Waikato, and equips them for practice.

The new graduates experience nursing as a shared clinical caseload with their preceptor for six weeks in total to support their orientation.

On-going employment with Te Whatu Ora Waikato is subject to graduates meeting all the requirements of the programme and the availability of vacancies at the time of completing the NETP/NESP programmes.

We have a facilitated approach to graduate recruitment into vacancies in the second year of practice.

Graduates employed by community providers are subject to the terms of their employer agreement and their employment contract with that provider.

NETP and NESP programmes

Te Whatu Ora Waikato will begin recruiting for their September 2022 intakes of NESP and NESP in May 2022.

Candidates need to apply via the ACE website to be eligible:

  • NESP positions are now permanent employment positions, rotating through 2 clinical placements across 12 months in total, whilst on the programme at 0.8FTE (8 days per fortnight) and include support and full funding for academic study and completion of a full post graduate certificate (two papers) provided by University of Auckland as the academic provider.

  • NETP positions are now permanent employment positions with an initial 13 month clinical placement whilst on the programme, at 0.9FTE (9 days per fortnight) and include support and full funding for academic study and completion of one paper towards completion of a post graduate certificate provided by University of Auckland as the academic provider

  • Transition to RN2 roles – for those who work within the Te Whatu Ora Waikato and complete the Graduate (NETP/NESP) programmes there is a facilitated process to undertake a second paper and complete their post graduate certificate.

Please see the ACE website for application deadlines.

Te Whatu ora Waikato does not undertake face to face interview process. This is replaced by professional conversation between the ACE candidate and Te Whatu Ora team recruiting for graduate positions.

NETP & NESP Programme mid-year start date: 12th September 2022

You will:

  • Be a permanent NZ resident or NZ citizen AT TIME OF APPLICATION
  • Hold a nursing degree from a three year NZ nursing programme accredited by the Nursing Council of New Zealand
  • Have not completed the nursing degree longer than 24 months prior to entry to the programme
  • Have registration within the registered nurse scope of practice with Nursing Council of New Zealand
  • Have a current annual practising certificate
  • Have not practised as a registered nurse at 0.8FTE or more for longer than 6 months prior to entry to the programme
  • Make an application for the NETP programme via ACE

NESP – approximately 10 Te Whatu Ora Waikato based positions will be available

Mental Health and Addiction Services placement areas: are provided in both inpatient settings (based in the Henry Rongomau Bennett Centre located on the Waiora Waikato hospital campus) and in community settings.

  • Adult Mental health
  • Forensics
  • Mental Health for Older People
  • Community (Adult Mental Health)

IMPORTANT ELIGIBILITY NOTE:

To be eligible to take up a position on the NESP programme, Te Whatu Ora Waikato requires all NESP participants to have a full drivers licence on commencement of the NESP programme

NETP – approximately 130 Te Whatu Ora Waikato based positions will be available in across the intakes in 2021

Placements include Waiora Waikato hospital campus Hamilton, and our Waikato regional rural hospital campuses - (Thames, Te Kuiti, Tokoroa and Taumurunui)

Waikato hospital placement areas:

  • General surgery
  • ENT surgery
  • Orthopaedic surgery
  • Neurosurgery
  • Burns/Plastics/Maxillofacial/Urology
  • Cardiothoracic & Vascular surgery; Cath lab
  • Cardiac Care 
  • Intraoperative services (includes theatres, DOSA, PACU)
  • Oncology
  • Internal medicine
  • Respiratory medicine
  • Acute Medical (assessment) Unit
  • Emergency Department
  • Regional Dialysis in-centre
  • Outpatient Department
  • Child Health – Paediatric medical ward; Neonatal ICU (NICU)
  • Health of Older People within the Te Whatu Ora Waikato

Rural Hospitals placement areas:

  • Thames hospital –  Emergency Dept, and ward placements
  • Tokoroa hospital –  Inpatient ward
  • Te Kuiti hospital  - Inpatient ward
  • Taumarunui hospital – Inpatient ward.

These rural campus sites offer the RN graduate a comprehensive experience within general ED and in-patient settings.  Education days are held at the Waikato hospital campus.

NOTE:
It is important that you indicate in your cover letter accompanying your ACE application if you are interested in employment in a rural hospital setting, and in which rural location

Non Te Whatu Ora Waikato settings: placement areas

These placements are jointly supported by the Te Whatu Ora Waikato and educator and preceptor teams working within these settings.  NETP education days are provided at the Waiora Waikato hospital site alongside Te Whatu Ora Waikato based participants

Employment in Non-Te Whatu Ora Waikato organisations are lead by that organisation but is facilitated by the Te Whatu Ora Waikato.

If a partner organisation has a vacancy they let the Te Whatu Ora Waikato know and the Te Whatu Ora Waikato forwards all candidates with “Primary Health Care including Including Practice Nursing, Plunket, Department of Corrections, GP Clinics, Accident & Medical Centres, Iwi Providers, Pacific Providers, School Nursing, Well Child Providers, Plunket, NGO's and Hospice” as a preference.

Due to this process, if you have indicated “Primary Health Care including including Practice Nursing, Plunket, Department of Corrections, GP Clinics, Accident & Medical Centres, Iwi Providers, Pacific Providers, School Nursing, Well Child Providers, Plunket, NGO's and Hospice” as a preference, you may be contacted by multiple organisations for an interview.

You MUST stay in the ACE talent pool, as the Partner organisation will signal to the DHB their preference and the Te Whatu Ora Waikato will recruit you for the partner organisation through ACE.

Southern Cross Hospital (Hamilton)

An application via ACE is required to undertake a graduate programme with Southern Cross, and Southern cross is an ACE affiliated employer.

Southern Cross has a direct application process -
Please access the link below for further information on positions available in Southern Cross hospital and how to apply. 

Key contacts

Graduate programmes team
Email: GraduateNursingProgrammes@waikatodhb.health.nz

Diane Ngatia
Phone: 021 2201 879

Jade Longmore
Phone: 021 285 1906