Associate Charge Nurse, OPAL Unit

Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora - Te Pae Hauora o Ruahine o Tararua MidCentral; Whanganui; On-site; NZD 70,000 - 90,000; Part time

Job summary

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is seeking an experienced Associate Charge Nurse to join the OPAL Unit at Palmerston North Hospital on a temporary, part-time basis (0.7 FTE) covering parental leave.

You will work alongside the Charge Nurse to support patient flow, bed management and high-quality care, driving quality improvement and clinical leadership within OPAL.

Qualifications

• Lead and facilitate effective patient flow, complex admission and discharge arrangements.
• Lead and facilitate effective bed management and coordination.
• Coordinate resources to meet identified needs of patients and staff.
• Promote and facilitate quality care and equity of outcomes.
• Promote and facilitate risk minimization activities.
• Role model expert nursing clinical practice and mentor staff to high standards.
• Maintain a safe clinical and operational environment.
• Lead and co-ordinate the patient care team with supervision and clinical leadership.
• Maintain clinical portfolios as allocated by the Charge Nurse.
• Experience as a shift leader within a ward setting.
• Minimum of three years recent and relevant clinical experience.
• Current Proficient Level PDRP portfolio and working towards expert level.
• Experience with Trendcare, MIYA and WebPas; computer literacy.

Responsibilities

• Lead and optimize patient flow and bed management within the OPAL Unit.
• Coordinate resources to meet identified needs of patients and staff.
• Provide clinical leadership and mentorship to the nursing team.
• Support effective admissions, discharges and day-to-day operations.
• Maintain a safe, high-quality care environment and uphold standards.

Skills

Leadership

Bed management

Patient flow

Staff supervision

Quality care

Risk minimization

Mentoring

Team coordination

Postgraduate study

Computer literacy

Education

Postgraduate study

Tools

Trendcare

MIYA

WebPas

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 9th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

Location: Palmerston North Hospital: Temporary, Part time position

• An encouraging learning environment where you will continue to grow and be challenged
• A professional and supportive culture and team setting
• Fulfilling and challenging work with great lifestyle options
• Tailored wellness programmes

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to building a health system that serves all New Zealanders.

About the Role

We are looking for a dynamic nurse to join our senior team as Associate Charge Nurses (ACN) in the OPAL Unit on a temporary, part-time basis (0.7 FTE) covering parental leave for up to one year.

This role works alongside and in partnership with the Charge Nurse to support and drive patient flow and contribute to effective quality of care, day to day coordination and clinical leadership within and on behalf of OPAL.

About the Team/Service/ Location

Healthy Ageing and Rehabilitation (HAR) has 3 wards within this cluster that involves the diagnosis and holistic care of older people with complex health and social needs. Care is usually provided by multidisciplinary teams including geriatricians, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, and dietitians.

Employing over 2500 people, MidCentral offers a supportive work environment that accepts and values all employees. We actively seek Māori kaimahi into our workforce and provide an environment which delivers our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

MidCentral region offers an excellent lifestyle for families with scenic spots for hiking and mountain-biking, great schools and tertiary institutions. With the mountains, city and sea at your doorstep, you'll get to taste the best of both worlds – the perfect blend of rural and city living.

About the Location

Manawatū is known for its effortless blend of city and rural living; here you can choose your ideal lifestyle, from peaceful rural villages, to bustling townships, or city life. It's a family-friendly place that's easy to live and work, with easy access to an array of outdoor activities – beaches, ski fields, lakes, mountains, as well as fantastic mountain biking and hiking tracks. No traffic and an easy commute to work, really help a with true work-life balance. Our fantastic central location means exploring other parts of New Zealand is easy as a drive or a short flight. We are well served with excellent schooling options, as well as two tertiary institutes – Massey University and the International Pacific College.

For more information on living and working in the Manawatu click here

About you

• Lead and facilitate effective patient flow, complex admission and discharge arrangements
• Lead and facilitate effective bed management and coordination
• Coordinate resources to meet identified needs of patients and staff
• Promote and facilitate quality care and equity of outcomes
• Promote and facilitate risk minimization activities
• Role model expert nursing clinical practice in the care and management of patients, mentor staff to ensure high standards of care
• Maintain a safe clinical and operational environment
• Lead and co-ordinate the patient care team by providing supervision, clinical leadership to support to promote patient focused care within the allocated resources
• Maintain clinical portfolios as allocated by the Charge Nurse
• Experience as a shift leader within a ward setting and recognised by colleagues as a high functioning leader
• Minimum of three years recent and relevant clinical experience
• Relevant academic qualifications/commitment to post graduate level study
• Current Proficient Level Professional Development Recognition Programme (PDRP) Portfolio and evidence of working towards expert level PDRP
• Proven ability in Trendcare, MIYA and WebPas use; has the ability to support staff with the same
• Computer literacy at intermediate level

Working at Health New Zealand

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of New Zealand. We embrace a workforce that is diverse and inclusive so that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We welcome applications from our diverse Māori, Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities.