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Certificate in Nursing (Competence Assessment Programme)

HS1703

Course details

  • Apr 2024
    Jul 2024
    Oct 2024
  • 9-12 weeks
  • Full-time
  • $3,011*
  • Level 7
  • Available for International Students. International Fee Guideline
  • Hamilton City Campus

Summary

Do you need to get a New Zealand practising certificate? The Certificate in Nursing (Competence Assessment Programme) can help you complete this.

New Zealand nurses returning to practice after a period of five years or more are required to complete an approved competence assessment programme, such as this programme, before a practising certificate may be issued.

If you are a registered nurse, this programme will allow you to demonstrate your ability to meet the Nursing Council of New Zealand competencies for your scope of practice.

If you are an overseas nurse, you may be required to complete this programme before you can become registered in New Zealand.

What You will Learn

This programme will take six to twelve weeks and will involve up to 10 days of classroom and self-directed learning and five to ten weeks of supervised clinical placements.

You will learn content that ensures you are able to demonstrate current and competent nursing skills within your scope of nursing practice. This includes a theory component that is specific to New Zealand’s health context such as an understanding of the Treaty of Waitangi, cultural safety and the legislation and guidelines for the practice of nursing in New Zealand.  

You will undertake a period of supervised clinical experience that will allow you to demonstrate your nursing competence. 

View programme modules

Module CodeModule TitleLevelCreditsPre-Requisites​​​Co-Requisites​​​Assessment Standard
NURS701Concepts Related to Nursing in the New Zealand Context715  N/A
NURS702Competence Assessment in Clinical Practice730 NURS701N/A

Career/Further Opportunities

The Certificate in Nursing (Competence Assessment Programme) may allow you to apply for a practicing certificate from the Nursing Council of New Zealand or if from overseas will allow you to be eligible to apply to the Nursing Council of New Zealand for registration and a practicing certificate to work in New Zealand as a nurse.

Placements

Covid-19 vaccination information
In light of the pandemic, it is highly recommended that you are vaccinated against Covid-19 if you want to apply for this programme. 

Events

No events.

Disclaimers

Entry criteria

New Zealand Nurses

New Zealand registered nurses and registered with the Nursing Council of New Zealand. Applicants with New Zealand nursing qualifications who are required by Nursing Council of New Zealand to complete the competency programme to apply for a current practising certificate may also be admitted to the programme.

Applicants are required to provide evidence of any health issues, mental or physical conditions, or criminal history that may prevent their entry onto the Nursing Register.

Overseas Nurses

Overseas registered nurses wishing to gain New Zealand Nursing Registration must have completed the application for registration process with the NCNZ and have received a decision letter outlining the requirements to be met to verify competency and New Zealand relevant skills.

All applicants

Applicants from a country where English is not the first or native language will need to provide evidence, obtained within two years from the date of assessment for registration, of their ability to speak and write in English. The Nursing Council of New Zealand approved  language tests for this programme are:

  • Academic International English language Testing System (IELTS) with a score of at least 7.0 in reading, writing, listening and speaking respectively
  • Occupational English test (OET) with minimum B band in each section.

Applicants must also be able to demonstrate their ability to communicate effectively to practise within their scope of practice.

Want to see full details of the entry criteria?
Don't meet the entry criteria?

Pathways

Health and social practice pathway diagram

To check what you need to gain entry to a course, review the entry criteria available on each programme page. These assist you in understanding what qualifications or experience are typically required to gain entry. You can contact our team at info@wintec.ac.nz or 0800 2 Wintec at any time for further guidance.

Your first day

Are you ready for your first day of class? Check out your start date and where you need to be. You can also find useful information about studying at Wintec on our welcome page.

Semester 1 2024

Date: Monday 15 January 2024
Time: 9am-4pm 
Venue: To be confirmed, City Campus

Date: Monday 22 April 2022
Time: 9am-4pm 
Venue: To be confirmed, City Campus

Semester 2 2024 

Date: Monday 15 July 2024
Time: 9am-4pm 
Venue: To be confirmed, City Campus

Date: Monday 7 October 2024
Time: 9am-4pm 
Venue: To be confirmed, City Campus

What you will need

Please bring a pen, notebook, and two ID documents (original or verified) required for Vulnerable Children Act checks (VCA). We also recommend you bring a device, such as a laptop or a smartphone, that has access to a video player, PDF reader and Microsoft software. Find more about device specifications here.

Vulnerable Children Act
You will be required to complete a safety check to comply with the provisions of the Vulnerable Childrens Act 2014. ID documents may include a Passport, New Zealand birth certificate, or drivers licence. Please bring evidence of name change if applicable​, eg marriage certificate. You can find more information here.

Health screening and vaccinations

As a requirement of this programme,  you will be required to provide evidence of your immunity and vaccination status. Your own doctor/general practitioner will need to assess this. The tests and approximate associated costs are your responsibility. Forms will be available on the first day. Vaccinations are available from Wintec Health Services, phone 834 8869 or your Medical Practitioner/Medical Centre.

Uniform
The clinical uniform is a white shirt/blouse with a tidy/dress dark blue or black trousers and matching shoes. You will be required to wear your student ID card at all times in clinical practice.

Clinical placement
This will be confirmed closer to your placement date. It is expected that placement will cover all shifts of the twenty-four-hour period over seven days.

This Competence Assessment Programme (CAP) is about you, the student, meeting New Zealand Nursing Council competencies for the registered nurse scope of practice to either gain New Zealand registration and/or a practising certificate. To maintain your practising certificate you need to be in employment as a nurse within six months of the issue of your practising certificate.

Timetable information

All Wintec timetables are available online here.

How to find your way around

Campus maps can be found here.

Parking and bus information

Both the Rotokauri and City campuses have parking available - permits are required. Learn more about parking and find out about discounted bus services here.

He reo pōwhiri, your official welcome to Wintec

Tēnei te mihi mahana ki a koe e piki nei, e kake nei ki te Kuratini o Waikato.

You are warmly invited to attend the official welcome to Wintec for all new students, staff and whānau (family) at either our marae, Te Kōpū Mānia o Kirikiriroa or Rotokauri campus. The pōwhiri is a welcoming ceremony involving mihimihi (speeches), waiata (singing), and will conclude with kai timotimo (light refreshments). Please gather at the campus hubs, and a staff member will guide you through our pōwhiri.

Click here to find out when the next pōwhiri will be.

Paying for your study

Course-related costs

Additional information

Booklist

Purchasing textbooks

If your programme requires you to have access to textbooks, these can be purchased through a range of suppliers listed below:

    New Zealand-based suppliers

    General book suppliers

    First aid certificate

    Health status

    Uniform

    Equipment

    Clinical placement

    Prospectus (course guide)

    The Wintec Prospectus (otherwise known as a course guide) outlines everything you need to know about Wintec. It contains information about the Wintec campuses, student life, and the programmes that are on offer.

    Access your copy of the Wintec Prospectus

    The Wintec Prospectus (course guide) is available by downloading the file - click on the document below to access the file. Alternatively, to request a copy via email or the post, please complete the form below.

    Request an emailable or printed copy of the Prospectus

    Portfolio

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