Clinical Nurse Educator - Operating Theatre

North Island - Wellington Wellington Central; Wellington; On-site; NZD 40,000 - 60,000; Part time

Job summary

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is seeking a Clinical Nurse Educator to lead and elevate perioperative nursing practice within our Operating Theatre team in Wellington. This part-time permanent role focuses on education, coaching, and professional development to support nurses across all career stages.

You will drive evidence-based practice, provide visible clinical leadership, and collaborate with surgical staff to deliver safe, high-quality patient care while promoting continuous learning

Qualifications

• Extensive Operating Theatre nursing experience.
• Proven leadership and coaching capabilities.
• Passion for clinical excellence and evidence-based practice.
• Strong communication, facilitation, and relationship-building skills.
• Commitment to supporting and developing others.

Responsibilities

• Lead innovative learning initiatives in perioperative nursing.
• Facilitate education programmes for operating theatre staff.
• Collaborate with clinical specialists to drive practice improvements.
• Support nurses at every career stage with development.

Skills

Leadership

Coaching

Clinical excellence

Evidence-based practice

Communication

Facilitation

Relationship-building

Education

Nursing Council registration

Annual Practising Certificate

Job description

Clinical Nurse Educator - Operating Theatre

Location: Wellington Regional Hospital- Wellington Operating Theatres

Contract: Part Time Permanent

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is dedicated to serving all New Zealanders. Through integration and collaboration, we're building a health system underpinned by partnership, equity, sustainability, whānau-centred care, and excellence.

About the Role

Are you passionate about developing nursing excellence and inspiring others to achieve their full potential? We are seeking an inspiring and innovative Nurse Educator (NE) to lead, influence, and elevate clinical practice within our dynamic Operating Theatre team.

As a Nurse Educator, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of perioperative nursing by driving clinical excellence, fostering professional growth, and championing evidence-based practice. You will provide visible leadership in the clinical environment, identifying opportunities for improvement and ensuring the delivery of safe, high-quality patient care.

This is an exciting opportunity to utilise your expertise in education, coaching, and professional development to support nurses at every stage of their career. You will lead innovative learning initiatives, facilitate education programmes, collaborate with clinical specialists, and help develop a highly skilled and confident nursing workforce.

This position offers you the following opportunities:

• Regular hours with excellent work-life balance
• A varied and rewarding role where no two days are the same
• The opportunity to influence practice and drive meaningful change
• Leadership within a supportive, high-performing team
• Ongoing professional development and career growth opportunities
• The ability to make a real difference to patient outcomes and staff development
• Be part of a service committed to clinical excellence and innovation

About the Team/Service/ Location

Our Operating Theatre service is a fast-paced, collaborative environment where teamwork, innovation, and patient-centred care are at the heart of everything we do. Our nursing staff work closely with surgeons, anaesthetists, and multidisciplinary colleagues to deliver exceptional care for patients and their whānau.

We are proud of our strong team culture, where knowledge sharing, professional support, and continuous learning are encouraged and celebrated. Through our team nursing approach, staff benefit from enhanced communication, clinical mentorship, collaborative decision-making, and opportunities to further develop specialist perioperative skills. This commitment to teamwork contributes to excellent patient outcomes, high staff engagement, and a positive workplace culture.

About you

You are an experienced perioperative nurse who is passionate about education, leadership, and empowering others to deliver exceptional patient care. You thrive on developing people, driving improvements in practice, and creating a culture of continuous learning.

You will bring:

• Extensive Operating Theatre nursing experience
• Proven leadership and coaching capabilities
• A passion for clinical excellence and evidence-based practice
• Strong communication, facilitation, and relationship-building skills
• Flexibility, initiative, and enthusiasm for continuous improvement
• A commitment to supporting and developing others
• Registration with the Nursing Council of New Zealand as a Registered Nurse
• A current Annual Practising Certificate

Join us and help shape the future of perioperative nursing while making a lasting impact on both patient care and staff development.

Working at Health New Zealand

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is 'the weaving of wellness'. We're dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Health New Zealand are committed to being good employers and honouring our equal employment opportunity obligations. We embrace diversity and welcome application from all people, including all gender identities, ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and disability. A workforce that is diverse and inclusive means that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We are pro-equity health organisation, with a particular focus on Māori, Pacific Peoples, and the Disability Community.

Job details

Job Reference:

Job Reference: NM396-26

Location:

North Island - Wellington - Wellington Central