The role
Create lasting change
Our nurses often work with patients who haven't regularly engaged with healthcare and may have unmet health needs. Working in collaboration with patients, you'll identify health goals, grow health literacy, work to address health inequities for Māori and make a meaningful difference.
Opportunities to grow
A career as a nurse at Ara Poutama Aotearoa is a career that grows with you.
Our nurses have the opportunity to develop new skills and knowledge, through exposure to a wide range of specialities and health scenarios. We support our nurses to develop through education, training and professional career opportunities - enabling them to work to the top scope of their practice.
Supportive, multi-disciplinary team
Our nurses work in a nursing-led, close-knit team within the health centre, alongside allied health providers, whānau, hapū and iwi. They are supported by custodial staff and other members of the multi-disciplinary team - all of whom bring different insights and help to create a safe environment.
Hear from the team
What you need to know
Time off
Five weeks annual leave, increasing to six after six years continuous service
Hours of work
No night shifts - rostered hours between 6am - 10pm, 7 days a week
Rosters will vary from site to site
Career development
Progression to management, nurse practitioner, nurse education, quality assurance and advisory positions
Opportunities to move into different areas, including mental health and Rongoā Māori
Training
Extensive orientation and training, including Ara Tika (induction at Upper Hutt)
Environment
Based within a health centre at one of our 17 prison sites around the country
Skills and experience
Clinical experience, with good communication skills and the ability to relate to diverse groups of people
Registered or enrolled with the Nursing Council of New Zealand
Graduates and overseas candidates
Support for graduates
Support for international candidates
Support for graduates
We offer graduates the opportunity to gain clinical experience supported by a preceptor (mentor), plus study a fully funded paper.
Support for international candidates
We offer a relocation package to help cover expenses for our nursing international candidates, plus other guidance and support.
Still thinking it over?
Join our community! Sign up to our newsletter to keep up to date with on-the-job stories from our staff, opportunities to meet the team, and information about different careers at Corrections.
Recent stories
Happily nursing at Hawke's Bay Regional Prison - Dayna's story
From the minute she walked into Hawke’s Bay Regional Prison, Dayna knew she wanted to work there as a nurse. First, however, she had to finish her study.
The unexpected benefits of nursing in prison
At a time when recruiting and retaining Registered Nursing staff is challenging across the health sector, Christchurch Men’s Prison (CMP) is seeing a number of nurses returning to work in…