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Our role
The Ministry of Health provides advice to the Government on health policy, is responsible for ensuring public safety and quality through our regulatory functions and activities, and monitors the performance of the health system and health entities. This includes advice on health workforce and regulatory settings that affect the nursing profession in New Zealand.
Our Chief Nursing Officer, alongside other Clinical Officers, provides clinical leadership and strategic advice to the Ministry, Ministers, and wider health system. This ensures nursing perspectives are included in policy development, regulation, and monitoring.
Learn more about our Nursing leadership.
Workforce frameworks and prescribing information
The Ministry develops national frameworks and provides guidance that support nursing practice and help ensure a safe, sustainable health workforce.
Health Workforce Strategic Framework
The Health Workforce Strategic Framework guides health system settings to ensure New Zealand has a sustainable, representative, and responsive health workforce that can meet the future needs of New Zealanders.
Read the Health Workforce Strategic Framework.
Registered nurse prescribing
Registered nurses working in primary health and specialty teams can apply to the Nursing Council to become a designated prescriber. Designated prescribers may prescribe from an approved list of medicines under the Medicines Act 1981.
You can find information on registered nurse prescribing – including updates to the medicines list – on the Ministry of Health website.
Additional information about registration and scopes of practice is available on the Nursing Council website.
Medicines (Standing Orders) Regulations
Standing orders are written instructions that allow timely access to medicines in situations where an authorised prescriber is not available.
Read the Standing Order Guidelines.
