Plunket Nurse - Palmerston North

“Take care of our children, take care of what they hear, take care of what they see, take care of how they feel. For how the children grow, so will be the shape of Aotearoa”.-Dame Whina Cooper

Join us as a Registered Nurse in Palmerston North and ensure each Plunket baby has the best start to life! This is a 0.8 role on a fixed term basis from 5 January 2026 until 12 February 2027

Te Whiwhinga mahi | The opportunity

Your role is to assess the growth and development of tamariki and be a trusted clinical advisor, supporting whānau to choose how they’d like to raise their Tamariki. You will foster relationships with whānau in the community, taking a holistic approach to enable culturally appropriate and personalised support. You’ll truly never know the difference you’ll make, providing that one piece of health promotion advice in a compelling way or following your gut and making a referral could make the difference of a lifetime.

We love what we do, but our roles are different to the standard nursing role you might otherwise do at a hospital or GP clinic. Here are some things to know about our mahi:

Flexibility: What we offer our kaimahi (employees) is a breath of fresh air if you come from a hospital or clinic environment - no more weekends or nights, no putting in leave requests months in advance and hoping for the best. Holding clinics & conducting home visits means it is not necessarily always a 9-3 Mon-Fri, but it’s probably the closest you’ll find! 

Working autonomously: Being able to make decisions and work on your own is something that many of our Nurses highlight as a bonus for working with us. With a focus on supporting people in the community and in their own homes. It means that for the most part, you work on your own; but the team are readily available for support and you will have a base clinic to connect to. It is a different experience, but if you’re up for a change, it is extremely rewarding!

Pay rates for our Registered Nurses are between $62,911 ($31.84 per hour) and $90,099 ($45.60 per hour) depending on experience

He kōrero mōu | About you

We are so much more than weighing babies, in an ever changing and complex society, to succeed in this role, you will have:

The ability to connect with whānau: Helping new parents and their support networks find their groove starts with gaining trust. you will be able to listen and be led by your clients. We work with whānau from all walks of life, and providing a safe space where whānau can speak freely is crucial to providing patient-focused high-quality and equitable primary healthcare.

A resilient nature: Not all whānau have a smooth ride or have the same starting point. Your training and life experience will have prepared you to work with whānau who may be experiencing difficulties including family harm, maternal and other mental health challenges and high levels of deprivation. The uniqueness of the whānau we connect with is what makes our role interesting. You will be flexible in your approach, but always with a listening ear, manaakitanga, ngākau, and the ability to provide culturally safe care.

A love for working with tamariki!: You may be the favourite aunty/uncle or have a tribe of your own, but your joy and passion for working with whānau and wanting to make a lasting difference will be evident in every interaction. 

Ngā pukenga me tohunga Motuhake | Skills and Qualifications

To be successful in this role, you will:

• Be a Registered Nurse
• Be an authorised vaccinator (desirable)
• Hold an Annual Practicing Certificate
• Hold a full clean NZ Drivers Licence
• Be committed to completing 12 month Post Graduate Certificate in Well Child Tamariki ora (we will pay cover the cost for this)

• Work close to home in a community-based role
• A Monday – Friday role, with some flexibility to work around you
• 'Well Health Day': the ability to use sick leave for a proactive planned health day
• Career pathways for leaders, educators and head office positions

Applications must be made online, for any specific questions about the mahi, contact Bridget Robertson Clinical Leader on  bridget.robertson@plunket.org.nz

Applications close: 4 December 2025 - Please note, we will process applications as they are received. If we find a successful candidate, we reserve the right to close this advert early.