Health New Zealand recognises that nurses are a key workforce group within the New Zealand Health System. We recognise that nurses help bridge the gap between coverage and access to healthcare through their ability to coordinate increasingly complex care for a wide range of patients within primary and secondary care.

Health Workforce Directorate provides postgraduate funding on an annual contractual basis. Nurses can apply for papers that build towards a postgraduate qualification such as a Postgraduate Certificate (60 pts), Postgraduate Diploma (120 pts) or Master's degree (180 and 240 pts).

This funding covers tuition fees, clinical mentoring and clinical release for nurses (trainees) to attend postgraduate nursing training programmes. Funding does not cover travel and accommodation costs for attending compulsory block course days.

Before applying, please check eligibility requirements:

  • be registered as a nurse or a nurse practitioner under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act (2003)
  • hold a current annual practising certificate (APC) with no restrictions on that APC that would negatively impact on their ability to participate in the programme
  • be currently employed as a registered nurse by a health service that is funded by Health New Zealand or Ministry of Health
  • be a New Zealand citizen or hold a New Zealand residency permit as conferred by the New Zealand Immigration Service
  • have evidence of support by their current employer to meet the training requirements
  • meet the entry criteria required by the education provider.
  • completed a professional development and/or a career plan developed with clinical nurse manager or nurse educator to ensure that education is appropriate to scope, level of practice and role

Cultural Support funding is open to any person who has whakapapa and cultural links to whānau, hapū and iwi (for Māori) or is of Pacific Peoples descent and has established cultural links to the Pacific Peoples' communities.

Counties Manukau

Counties Manukau

Applications for Registered Nurses employed within Counties Manukau Funding Area for Semester 1 2025 is now closed. You will be notified of application results before December 2024.

NOTES: Your line manager(s) must support your application. Email will be the main form of contact. All Applicants must have completed a career plan with their line manager before applying for HWD funding. You will need to apply for funding every semester. If your application is successful, it is only for Semester one or two.

Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley

Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley

Applications for Postgraduate Funding for the 2025 academic year open on Sunday 1 August 2024 and close Friday 4 October 2024.

Application forms

Useful resources

All career conversations for nurses working towards a Prescribing Practicum or the Nurse Practitioner Pathway must be completed by Helen Costello.

Contact information

  • Please make an appointment for a career conversation with one of the following people, for additional details, please view contact list  
  • Complete the Postgraduate Application Form, ensuring that all sections are completed accurately. If you encounter any difficulties while completing the form, contact the Workforce and Practice Development Unit for assistance.
  • Any questions about cultural support, please contact: Lisa Karaka (Nurse Coordinator- NETP & Cultural Support) 

MidCentral

MidCentral

Applications for Postgraduate Funding for the 2025 academic year close Friday 25 October 2024.

Email HWNZ Administrator hwnz@midcentraldhb.govt.nz for an application form.

  • Attend the Post Graduate Nursing Roadshow and identify your preferred Tertiary Education Provider.
  • Complete your Career Plan in discussion with your Professional Lead.
  • Use the Four Steps to Career Planning to help you identify the goals, activities, timelines and resources you need to achieve your career plan.
  • Career planning helps identify whether your current role requires this level of preparation.
  • Cultural Support funding is open to any person who has whakapapa and cultural links to whānau, hapū and iwi (for Māori) or is of Pacific Peoples descent and has established cultural links to the Pacific Peoples' communities

Prioritisation criteria and funding allocation

  • Māori, Pacific and Aged Care applicants will be prioritised. MidCentral applicants need to have a current PDRP and career plan.
  • Competent RNs may be funded to PG certificate level (2 papers).
  • Proficient RNs, including ACNs and Specialty Clinical Nurses may be funded to PG diploma level (4 papers).
  • Expert RNs may be funded to PG diploma (4 papers) based on service specifications/role.
  • A nurse on a NP pathway will be funded to Masters level based on service specifications.
  • Senior Nurses who are required to have a master’s degree for their role will be prioritized for funding.
  • No clinical release time is funded: nurses on the Health NZ - MidCentral MECA have access to 32 hours per calendar year (pro-rated for part time employees) of professional development leave.

Useful information

Contact

Nelson Marlborough

Nelson Marlborough

2025 Postgraduate funding applications open 9am Monday 13th May through to 5pm Friday 19th July 2024

Application form


Useful information

Contact:

Te Tai Tokerau

Te Tai Tokerau

Applications for 2024 is closed, late applications will be waitlisted.

Application forms

  • Application form for nurses working in Tai Tokerau
    After this date, the form will remain open and any late applicants will be automatically waitlisted. Late applications may miss out on funding.  Sometimes funding becomes available at a later date due to withdrawals from study programmes.

Useful Information:

Contact information

Wairarapa

Wairarapa

Applications forms for 2025 open Thursday 1 August and close Friday 4 October 2024

Application forms

Useful information

  • Professional Development and Career Plan (DOCX 417KB)
    Email Hannah Chittick (PG Funding Coordinator) or Kathryn Wadsworth (Clinical Nursing Director) to book your career conversation
  • Professional supervision is part of your practicum plan.
    Email Nursing@wairarapa.dhb.org.nz once your application is approved for a list of supervisors
  • Application for up to 10-hours clinical mentoring support must be approved prior to undertaking a course requiring this. This support is only available for courses that require clinical mentoring/clinical mentor in addition to academic teaching/mentoring. Clinical mentoring must be negotiated by the nurse enrolling in the course in consultation with their Line Manager and DON at the time of your career conversation. Approval will be documented in their confirmation email.
  • If you are planning to undertake a RN prescribing practicum or Nurse Practitioner (NP) advanced practice and prescribing practicum course, approval to enrol is required at a service level and the DON. Support to undertake the practicum courses relies on organisational agreement for role development during and after the practicum. A Prescribing Practicum Support Plan must be prepared before commencing the paper. This information also informs work-site planning, funding prioritisation and workforce development. For more information or guidance, please contact Hannah.Chittick@wairarapa.dhb.org.nz