Why Study/Key Benefits

• Develops the knowledge, practical skills and professional attitudes required to provide safe and effective nursing care.

• Includes more than 1,000 hours of clinical placement, allowing students to gain experience in real healthcare environments.

• Provides regular clinical simulation sessions in WITT's clinical skills laboratory, Pokap? Whaihanga.

• Offers smaller classes and support from tutors with clinical experience.

• Develops evidence-based clinical decision-making, health assessment, therapeutic communication and care planning.

• Emphasises holistic healthcare, health equity, cultural safety and the health and wellbeing of M?ori and other communities.

• Includes opportunities to explore specialist areas of nursing practice.

• On successful completion, students are supported through the process of applying for registration with the Nursing Council of New Zealand.

 

Programme Structure and Subjects/Topics

WITT describes the programme as an integrated degree in which courses, teaching and assessments are designed to develop the competencies required for registered nursing practice.

The published learning outcomes and programme description identify the following subject areas:

- Nursing practice and clinical care:

• Safe and effective nursing practice.

• Clinical assessment and patient care.

• Holistic health assessment.

• Development, implementation and evaluation of integrated care plans.

• Care for people across different stages of life.

- Health sciences and evidence-based practice:

• Applying scientific knowledge to nursing decisions.

• Evidence-based care.

• Clinical reasoning and judgement.

• Assessing health needs and selecting appropriate interventions.

• Evaluating the outcomes of nursing care.

- Communication and professional relationships:

• Therapeutic communication with health consumers.

• Working with patients, wh?nau, hap?, iwi and communities.

• Communicating in person and through information technologies.

• Working collaboratively with interprofessional healthcare teams.

- Cultural safety and M?ori health:

• Applying Te Tiriti o Waitangi in nursing practice.

• Promoting equitable health outcomes for M?ori.

• Understanding cultural safety and kawa whakaruruhau.

• Providing culturally responsive healthcare.

- Leadership and professional practice:

• Advocating for equity and social justice.

• Supporting sustainable health outcomes.

• Demonstrating professionalism and self-awareness.

• Developing a commitment to lifelong learning.

- Clinical skills and placement:

• Clinical simulation.

• Practical skills-laboratory sessions.

• Supervised clinical practice.

• Increasing clinical responsibility throughout the programme.

• Block placements and shift-based practice in later stages.

Disciplines/Specialisations

The main discipline is professional nursing within the wider health and wellbeing sector.

WITT states that students have opportunities to choose some specialist areas of practice. The programme page does not provide a definitive list of available specialisations.

Possible clinical practice environments identified by WITT include:

• Mental health nursing.

• Acute care nursing.

• Community nursing.

• Aged-care nursing.

• Other healthcare settings, depending on placement availability and programme arrangements.

Programme Highlights

• Level 7 bachelor's degree.

• Three-year full-time programme.

• 360-credit qualification.

• New Plymouth campus.

• More than 1,000 hours of clinical placement.

• Clinical skills laboratory and regular simulation sessions.

• Blended learning through lectures, online activities, group work and e-portfolios.

• Small-group tutorials and clinically experienced tutors.

• Practical nursing experience from the beginning of the programme.

• Opportunities to explore specialist areas of nursing practice.

• Curriculum aligned with Nursing Council of New Zealand standards of competence.

• Focus on holistic care, cultural safety, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and health equity.

• Support through the Nursing Council registration process after successful completion.

Career Outcomes

The principal career outcome is progression towards registration and employment as a Registered Nurse in New Zealand, subject to meeting the Nursing Council's requirements.

WITT identifies the following nursing practice environments:

• Mental health services.

• Acute healthcare.

• Community health services.

• Aged-care facilities.

• Other healthcare and nursing settings.

Potential employment roles after obtaining the required registration include:

• Registered Nurse.

• Staff Nurse.

• Community Nurse.

• Aged-care Nurse.

• Mental Health Nurse.

• Acute-care Nurse.

Important registration information:

• Completing the Bachelor of Nursing does not, by itself, automatically make a graduate a Registered Nurse.

• Graduates must meet the Nursing Council of New Zealand's registration requirements, including the required assessment and state final examination.

• The Nursing Council is responsible for deciding whether an applicant meets the prescribed qualification, competence and fitness requirements.

• WITT states that it supports successful graduates through the registration process.

Latest Updates/Special Requirements

• The current WITT programme page lists 22 February 2027 as the intake date.

• The current international tuition fee displayed is NZD 26,816.

• The programme is delivered over three years full-time, with part-time study available for individual students.

• WITT describes the programme as including over 1,000 clinical placement hours. Its 2026 Study and Career Guide gives a more specific figure of 1,100 hours. Students should confirm the placement-hour requirement for their intake with WITT.

Clinical placement and uniform requirements:

• Students must wear the required uniform during clinical skills sessions and clinical placements.

• A nursing kit and laptop are listed as additional expenses.

• Simulation sessions are scheduled most weeks.

• Students should be prepared for clinical shifts and placements, including shift patterns commencing towards the end of Year 2.

• The exact uniform specification, kit contents, laptop specifications, immunisation requirements, police checks and placement-clearance deadlines are not publicly specified – please confirm with IPU.

Professional registration and international graduates:

• WITT's programme is designed to align with Nursing Council standards for registered nurses.

• Graduates must complete the required registration process before practising as registered nurses.

• International students who already hold nursing qualifications from another country should not assume that enrolling in this degree is the same as applying for recognition of their existing overseas nursing qualification. The Nursing Council has a separate internationally qualified nurse process.

Post-study work visa:

• WITT's dedicated eligibility page lists the Bachelor of Nursing (Level 7) as eligible for an open Post Study Work Visa for up to three years.

• Immigration New Zealand's general rules require a student to complete a qualifying degree-level 7 or higher qualification and study full-time in New Zealand for at least 30 weeks.

• Applicants must meet the other visa requirements and apply within the applicable timeframe after their student visa expires.

• Immigration New Zealand currently lists a minimum of NZD 5,000 in available funds for a Post Study Work Visa.

• For an eligible degree-level 7 qualification, the visa allows work in any legal job, subject to the visa conditions and any occupational registration requirements.

• Nursing employment still requires the appropriate Nursing Council registration. A Post Study Work Visa does not itself grant permission to practise as a nurse.

 

International Student Visa Requirements

International students applying from India will generally need a New Zealand Fee Paying Student Visa to study the full-time Bachelor of Nursing, subject to their individual circumstances.

Immigration New Zealand's requirements include:

• An offer of place from an approved education provider.

• Evidence that the student has paid the tuition fees or can pay them.

• Evidence of sufficient funds for living expenses.

• Acceptable medical and travel insurance for the period of the visa.

• Evidence of good health and character.

• Genuine intentions to study in New Zealand.

• Evidence of onward travel or sufficient funds to purchase a ticket out of New Zealand.

• Any additional documents requested by Immigration New Zealand.

Living-cost funds:

• For tertiary study lasting one year or longer, Immigration New Zealand requires NZD 20,000 per year for living expenses.

• For a three-year degree, students should plan to demonstrate NZD 20,000 for each year of study, or a credible funding plan for later years.

• Tuition fees and outward-travel funds must be demonstrated separately.

• Acceptable evidence may include bank statements, an eligible education loan, scholarship evidence or an acceptable sponsor.

Student visa work rights:

• Eligible students may be permitted to work up to 25 hours per week during study.

• Eligible students may be allowed to work full-time during scheduled holidays, depending on their visa conditions.

• Work rights are not automatic for every student; applicants must check the conditions stated on their individual eVisa or visa letter.

• Students must maintain satisfactory attendance and academic progress.

Insurance:

• Students must hold acceptable medical and travel insurance from the start of their course until their visa expires.

• WITT lists insurance at NZD 800 per year through UniCare NZ.

• The policy must meet the requirements of the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Learners) Code of Practice and be accepted by WITT.

Visa cost and processing:

• Fee Paying Student Visa cost: from NZD 850.

• Immigration New Zealand states that 80% of applications are processed within seven weeks.

• Students are advised to apply at least three months before their intended travel date.

• A student visa may be issued for the period of study paid for, or until passport expiry if that occurs earlier, subject to Immigration New Zealand's decision.

Post-study work visa:

• WITT lists the Bachelor of Nursing as eligible for an open Post Study Work Visa for up to three years.

• Immigration New Zealand's general degree-level eligibility rules require at least 30 weeks of full-time study in New Zealand and successful completion of the eligible qualification.

• Applicants must meet the relevant application deadline and other requirements, including the NZD 5,000 living-funds requirement.

• The visa allows work in any legal job, but nursing practice requires the appropriate professional registration.