Mātanga Tapuhi

Nurse Practitioner

Scope of practice for mātanga tapuhi nurse practitioner

Mātanga tapuhi nurse practitioners have advanced education, clinical training and the demonstrated competence and legal authority to practise beyond the level of a registered nurse. Mātanga tapuhi nurse practitioners work autonomously and in collaborative teams with other health professionals to promote health, prevent disease, and improve access and population health outcomes for a specific patient group or community. 

Mātanga tapuhi nurse practitioners manage episodes of care as the lead healthcare provider in partnership with health consumers and their families/whānau. Mātanga tapuhi nurse practitioners combine advanced nursing knowledge and skills with diagnostic reasoning and therapeutic knowledge to provide patient-centred healthcare services including the diagnosis and management of health consumers with common and complex

health conditions. They provide a wide range of assessment and treatment interventions, ordering and interpreting diagnostic and laboratory tests, prescribing medicines within their area of competence and admitting and discharging from hospital and other healthcare services/settings. As clinical leaders they work across healthcare settings and influence health service delivery and the wider profession.

Apply for mātanga tapuhi nurse practitioner scope of practice

Guidelines for nurses wishing to apply for registration in the mātanga tapuhi nurse practitioner scope of practice are available from the Downloads on this page. Please note all applications need to be submitted through MyNC.

Mātanga tapuhi nurse practitioner recertification audit requirements

Every three years mātanga tapuhi nurse practitioners are required to provide evidence that they have maintained continuing competence, when they apply for their practising certificate.

This evidence includes:

  • Competence Assessment –A competence assessment that demonstrates their competence as a mātanga tapuhi nurse practitioner completed by an authorised prescriber.
  • Professional Development – A minimum of 40 hours of professional development activities per year over the past three years.
  • Nursing Practice– A minimum of 40 days of practice as a mātanga tapuhi nurse practitioner per year over the past three years, confirmed by their employer.
Please note all recertification evidence needs to be submitted through MyNC. The nurse will receive an email reminder from Council staff six weeks before their recertification evidence is due.

Competence Assessment Form for mātanga tapuhi nurse practitioners

Standing Orders

The Medicines (Standing Order) Amendment Regulations 2016, extended the definition of who are permitted to issue standing orders to include optometrists and mātanga tapuhi nurse practitioners. Mātanga tapuhi nurse practitioners can issue standing orders and must comply with the regulatory requirements for monitoring and audit of the standing orders they issue ( Standing Order Guidelines 2016, Ministry of Health).

The ability to issue standing orders will improve access to medicines and effective treatment and allows mātanga tapuhi nurse practitioners to work to the full extent of their scope.

Gazette Notice pf replacement and Revocation for Nurse Practitioners  

More information on mātanga tapuhi nurse practitioner qualifications and competencies can be found here.