Nurse practitioner DVD launch

15 September 2008.

Present

Minister of Health, Hon. David Cunliffe

Director General, Stephen McKernan

District Health Board Chairs

Members of the Nurse Practitioner Facilitation Programme

Participants in the DVD, Helen Snell and Sue Wood

CEOs- Cathy Cooney, Lakes DHB; Karen Roach, Northland DHB; Julian Inch, DHBNZ

Beverley Rayna, Carolyn Reed, NCNZ

Gabrielle Roberts, Ministry of Health Nursing team

Press release

New DVD to promote nurse practitioners

The Minister of Health, David Cunliffe today described Nurse Practitioners as a significant new force in the Health system.

Launching a new DVD profiling nurse practitioners he said “they are able to independently diagnose and prescribe and they will be used where we need them most in primary health care .”

“While there are 49 fully qualified nurse practitioners in the country there are many more now in the process of qualifying to work alongside multi disciplinary teams across the Health Sector.”

“In 2001 we had just one nurse practitioner in the country so its great news that this group of extremely skilled nurses are now having a very real impact,” said Mr Cunliffe.

“It is now up to District Health Boards and other Health providers to use their skills by employing more of them.”

The Minister today announced a further years funding of $300,000 for the promotion of Nurse Practitioners under the Nurse Practitioner Innovations Fund¹

“This programme has been very successful in getting across the message that these nurse practitioners have great potential but the job isn’t over yet.”

(¹ refers to Nurse Practitioner Facilitation Programme)

Photos

Bernadette Forde Paus and Elaine Papps NPF steering group