Program Overview

Graduate Diploma in Nursing Pacific

Programme Overview

The Graduate Diploma in Nursing Pacific is designed to support Pacific trained nurses in completing their qualification and becoming registered with the Nursing Council of New Zealand. The programme integrates knowledge of Pacific communities, cultural practices, and nursing knowledge to improve health outcomes for Pacific peoples and the wider Aotearoa New Zealand community and overseas.

Programme Details

Level

7

Duration

18 months, full-time

Domestic Fees

$7,600 per year (indicative for 2024 intake)

International Fees

$28,000* per year (indicative for 2024 intake)

Programme Outline

This programme provides an opportunity for Pacific trained nurses to undertake a nursing education programme that allows them to apply to the NCNZ for registration and a practicing certificate to work in Aotearoa New Zealand as a nurse. The programme is informed by Pacific pedagogies and provides an understanding of the various contexts of Pacific health while supporting learners' cultural capacity to be effective health professionals within a Nursing context.

Target Group of Learners

Pacific Island trained nurses who have been registered and have worked in the health sector in their home country and now have permanent residency in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Courses

Semester One

• Adopts the Tokelau term of ****, which refers to foundation.
• Pacific Identity, which allows learners to recognise the importance of this, no matter how strong their positioning is within this context.
• The learner's journey to becoming a nurse and the importance of embedding knowledge, skills and expertise to enable them to 'Think like a nurse'.

Semester Two

• Adopts the Samoan term **** which signifies upholding respectful relationships, which transcend persona, encompassing within and between professional and community connections.
• Pacific Heritage and is inclusive of the professional theme 'Act like a Nurse', embedded in semester two.

Semester Three

• The themes from Semester One and two are built upon, by adopting the Cook Islands Māori term, Turanga Neti, where Neti is nurse and Turanga refers to the positions, status and responsibilities of the nurse profession.
• Pacific Leadership and 'Be a Nurse'.

Teaching and Learning

A variety of teaching processes are used in the programme including lectures, tutorials, learning packages, workshops, student presentations, online learning and practical sessions in the simulation suites where 'hands-on' skills are learnt and practiced.

Clinical

To gain this qualification, students must complete a minimum of 895 hours of clinical experience (praxis). We are proud of the excellent working partnerships we have with our clinical providers, which include Te Whatu Ora Hospitals and private, iwi and community organisations.

Career Options

Our Nursing qualifications enable graduates to work as a beginning staff nurse in all areas where registered nurses are employed, both nationally and internationally.

Entry Requirements

Applicants must meet both the academic and suitability entry requirements.

Academic Entry Requirements

• Applicants must have permanent residency or approval to study as a domestic student.
• Whitireia degree academic entry requirements (i.e. University Entrance) or equivalent.
• Evidence of equivalence may include successful completion of high school studies overseas or recent tertiary study at Level 4, with a "B" average, and/or relevant work experience (paid or unpaid); application considered on a case-by-case basis with entry granted at the discretion of the Head of School.
• A Diploma of Nursing (L5) or Bachelor of Nursing (L7) from a Pacific Island nation
• A minimum of two years full-time equivalent work experience as a registered nurse in your home country
• A minimum of two years' work experience in the health sector in Aotearoa New Zealand

Suitability Entry Requirements

• Interview
• Health screening
• Safety check
• Referee reports

Course Related Costs

Students who are accepted into the course and successfully meet the criteria may be eligible to receive a Te Whatu Ora Support Fund covering course fees and some course costs such as:

• Health screening: $250
• Medical equipment: $160
• Uniform: $200
• Vaccinations (if required by clinical placement): Costs will vary depending on vaccination required i.e. flu, whooping cough
• Stationery: $200
• Clinical Travel Costs: These will vary depending on where you live and where your placements are

Recognition of Prior Learning

If you have relevant skills and knowledge through study or experiences in work or other activities, you may be able to receive credit for them. This is done through a process called Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).