Registered nurse career

Tapuhi rēhita

Registered nurses assess, treat and support patients in hospitals, rest homes and other health care facilities. They maintain medical records and give patients health management advice.

Registered nurses assess, treat and support patients in hospitals, rest homes and other health care facilities. They maintain medical records and give patients health management advice.

What would you do as a Registered nurse?

Registered nurses

  • usually work shifts, including early mornings, nights and weekends
  • usually work in hospitals, health centres and aged care facilities
  • may do emotionally demanding work
  • need to be safety conscious, communicate well and identify and solve problems

Tasks

  • monitor and assess patients
  • plan and provide nursing care
  • develop health care plans
  • provide medicine and treatment for patients
  • manage patient records
  • support patients to manage their health
  • educate people about health
  • assign work to enrolled nurses and health care assistants
  • train and guide other health care staff
  • stay up to date with nursing knowledge and research

How can you become a Registered nurse?

You need a qualification to become a registered nurse.

You need

  • a bachelor's degree in nursing
  • an Annual Practising Certificate
  • to pass a police check

You may need

  • a graduate certificate or diploma in nursing
  • a master's degree in nursing
  • to pass a medical assessment and drug test

If you're in school

You need University Entrance to do the study or training for this job.

Studying this at the University of Waikato

View all qualifications

Our Bachelor of Nursing prepares you to register as a nurse, with hands-on learning in real healthcare settings from day one. You'll split your time between our Hamilton campus and health providers across the Waikato and Midland region. The degree has a strong focus on equity and Māori and Pacific health.

If you already have a bachelor's degree, our Master of Nursing Practice offers a graduate-entry route into nursing. After you register, you can build advanced skills with our Bachelor of Nursing with Honours or our postgraduate Health Science qualifications. These include a pathway to Nurse Practitioner registration.

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Where a nursing degree can take you

A nursing degree opens up roles across the health system. After you register, many nurses choose a clinical area to specialise in, and further study opens up advanced practice and leadership roles.

Common areas nurses work in:

  • Hospital care, such as emergency, intensive care, neonatal, paediatrics and acute mental health
  • Primary and community health care, such as general practice, hospice, district nursing and community mental health
  • Advanced practice, including Nurse Practitioner and Registered Nurse Prescriber, after further study
  • Clinical leadership and health management
  • Gerontology and older people's health
  • Māori, Pacific and Indigenous health

Registered nurse FAQs

QS rankings

QS World University Rankings 2027

Waikato is ranked equal 293rd globally, placing us in the top 1.5% of universities worldwide, and 2nd in New Zealand by citations per faculty.

QS Sustainability Ranking 2026

Waikato is ranked 116th globally for sustainability, including 34th worldwide and 1st in NZ for Environmental Sustainability.