Nurse Practitioner - Forensic Prison Team

New Zealand Government; Christchurch; On-site; NZD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora seeks a Nurse Practitioner to provide advanced clinical care within the Forensic Prison Team, Canterbury. The role covers assessment, prescribing, and decision making for prisoners with mental health needs.

You will work with multidisciplinary colleagues and community agencies to ensure wraparound services and rehabilitation. Requires APC (or pending) and a current driver’s license.

Qualifications

• Must be Nurse Practitioner with current APC or Pending.
• Driver's license required as travel is involved.
• Strong admin and organisational skills essential in a busy role.

Responsibilities

• Lead clinical care for Tangata Whaiora in Canterbury Prisons.
• Order and interpret diagnostic tests; prescribe medications.
• Engage in risk assessment, planning and complex decision making.

Skills

Administrative skills

Organisational skills

Risk assessment

Communication skills

Rapport building

Education

Nurse Practitioner qualification

APC or Pending

Job description

1.0FTE, Fixed-term position from 02 / 11 / 2026 - 01 / 12 / 2028 to provide cover while a recruitment process takes place.

• Drivers license required as travel is involved in this role
• Must be a Nurse Practitioner and hold a current APC or Pending

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

Nurse Practitioner / Matanga Tapuhi are highly skilled health professionals who practice beyond the level of a registered nurse, with the legal authority to diagnosis, order and interpret diagnostic tests and prescribe medications. Nurse Practitioners within the Forensic Mental Health Service, primarily in the Forensic Prison Team (FPT) lead the clinical care of Tangata Whaiora who are within the prison setting. Nurse Practitioners undertake comprehensive health assessment, including diagnostic interpretation and treatment planning, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions. The Nurse Practitioner role includes complex health care decision making, along with engaging in both local and national quality improvement, and health committees.

About You

The Forensic Prison Team provides a consult liaison role into the Canterbury Prisons where you would undertake assessment and ongoing intervention for prisoners identified as having mental health needs. This role may also require engagement with the wider justice service including courts. You will work closely with your inter-disciplinary colleagues and with community agencies to ensure that clients receive wraparound services that support their rehabilitation and community reintegration.

Applications will be accepted from Nurse Practitioners with a current APC or Pending. Skills and experience: Strong administrative and organisational skills are vital in this busy role where you need to be flexible to meet the changeable nature of your work. Your assertiveness and experience with risk assessment and management will assist you in developing plans to meet the needs of individual clients. You will also have an ability to develop good rapport with the people you work with.

If you're keen to work in a challenging but highly rewarding environment, to develop a wide range of assessment skills, and forensic mental health experience, then come and join our team. Please ensure you include a covering letter to highlight your relevant skillset and experience.

About Us

Specialist Mental Health Services are an interdisciplinary team that forms part of Te Whatu Ora - Waitaha (Canterbury). We are committed to working and partnering with tāngata whaiora and their whanau. Constantly striving to work within our philosophy; we develop therapeutic, supportive and empowering relationships with our consumers, enabling them to achieve their personal goals and aspirations.

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.

If you have any questions about the role, please contact Recruitment Partner Lisa Gray on [e-mail].