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Pay & Conditions - salary, benefits, leave, hours

What is the salary range?

Nurse earning can vary. A registered nurse base salary starts at $58,148 , with the potential to earn more due to overtime and penal rates.

The team leader nurse base salary starts at $67,268.

What are other the additional benefits?

Additional benefits include:

  • a focus and emphasis on professional support and training and development for frontline staff.
  • opportunities to develop a particular area of interest within primary health care, through development within a specific portfolio of health for example the sites Drug and Alcohol portfolio or Diabetes portfolio.
  • developing and fully utilising clinical nursing skills that can be transferred to many other settings in the health sector.
  • the chance to work for an organisation that is recognised as forward-thinking and innovative on the international Corrections stage (NZ is respected internationally and provides guidance and advice to other countries in terms of correctional issues and initiatives)

What hours do a nurse work ?

Nurses work rostered hours that can be on weekends and public holidays, and do not work any nightshifts. Generally the hours that a Health Centre needs to be covered is from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm.

The nature of the roster is dependent on the requirements of health services in the specific prison. For example, prisons that receive sentenced and remand inmates from the Court ("Receiving prisons"), have a roster that includes the requirements to work later into the evening and at weekends. An "on-call" roster provides acute management support during hours when there are no health services staff rostered on site. Rostered weekends varies from site to site, with most nurses having approximately every alternate weekend off.

What are the leave/holiday/retirement entitlements?

Staff receive four weeks annual leave, increasing to five weeks after six years continuous service. There are also provisions for sick leave, bereavement leave and leave without pay.

KiwiSaver is a voluntary retirement savings scheme open to all New Zealanders that aims to increase saving through encouraging a long-term saving habit and asset accumulation. More information about KiwiSaver is provided to successful applicants on appointment or go to www.kiwisaver.govt.nz for more information.

How will my job performance be measured ?

Assessed by Health Centre Managers throughout the year using the Performance Management System considering competencies in the position.

Are there unions I can join?

Yes, there are unions you can choose to join. The following are some unions you can join: PSA (Public Service Association) and CANZ (Corrections Association of New Zealand). Nurses can also join NZNO (New Zealand Nursing Organisation).

For more information please visit:

Public Service Association (PSA)- www.psa.org.nz
Corrections Association of New Zealand (CANZ)- www.canz.gen.nz
New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO)- www.nzno.org.nz

Qualifications - Skills, formal qualifications, training

What skills or experience do I need?

If you're successfully appointed as a nurse, you will need:

  • Registration with the Nursing Council of New Zealand as a Registered Nurse with the scope of practice to enable you to work in a primary health care setting and
  • A current Practising Certificate for New Zealand.

If you are working on gaining your registration or practising certificate, you can apply and we can help you through the process.

Nursing experience in the fields of primary practice, emergency care and mental health nursing would be useful but is not a pre-requisite.

Specialising in my area of interest.

Nurses are able to specialise in their area of interest by choosing a specific portfolio to increase their knowledge and skill base. Portfolios that nurses at Corrections can specialise in include:

  • Smoking cessation
  • Vaccinator
  • Cervical smear
  • Preceptor
  • Infection control
  • ECG
  • Primary Mental Health
  • Diabetes
  • Drug and Alcohol treatment
  • Cardiovascular and respiratory problems
  • Infection (skin/systemic)
  • Nutrition and Health

What if I have a criminal conviction?

Having a criminal conviction will not necessarily preclude you from being offered employment. It depends on the position applied for and the offences that might be on your criminal record. Your criminal conviction record will be reviewed against our policy to assess your suitability for employment with the Department.

Applicants with the following kinds of criminal record will not usually be considered for appointment:

  • Any person who has received a custodial sentence (includes periodic detention and corrective training) regardless of when the offence occurred.
  • Any conviction for violence, dishonesty, drugs, a sexual offence, or any offence which incurred a sentence of supervision within the last 20 years
  • Any criminal conviction within the last 10 years, with the exception of minor convictions (minor convictions are those incurring small fines)
  • A continued history of minor offences

For more information go to Criminal conviction checking process page.

Does it matter if a family member is in prison?

No, but if you are offered a job, you will have to declare any possible instances of conflict of interest. As part of an provisional offer of employment, you will be required to sign a copy of the Departments Code of Conduct policy, which outlines what the Department expects of you and what you can expect from the Department.

The Work

What does a nurse in prison do day-to-day?

On a day-to-day basis nurses provide a full range of primary health nursing services including, health assessments, nursing interventions, triage, primary mental health care, administration of mediation, health education and promotion. Nurses may also manage specialised portfolios, for example, diabetes, mental health, wound management, and drug and alcohol treatment.

How many registered nurses are there in the team at each prison?

Registered nurse numbers within the prison can vary due to the size of the prison and prisoner population, and the time of day, and weekends when nurses are on-call. A team at a prison consists of between 4 to 10 nurse's plus a Health Administrator and the Health Centre Manager and /or Team Leader.

Between one and six nurses are on duty at any one time depending on time of day and the size of prison. Some sites may have one nurse on duty at times.

What will I do in my first eight weeks on the job?

Corrections runs a formal induction and orientation programme over approximately eight weeks. Our induction programme include generic information that is common to all prison sites such as clinical and custodial aspects of working in a prison, security and how to stay safe in the prison enviroment as well as prison site specific information. This is delivered through self paced learning modules, work books and a buddy system. A number of existing nurses are preceptor trained to support the orientation/induction process.

I'm from another culture - are there others of my culture that work there?

We have a rich and diverse staff and have staff networks such as Maori, Pacific, Asian and other ethnic networks.

What are the career prospects; Where can I go to from being a Nurse?

There are opportunities for promotion. Then next step from a nurse is Team Leader in the Health Centre.

New Zealand Nurses Registration and Certificate and Immigration

How do I gain New Zealand Nurses Registration?

This information has been provided by the Nursing Council of New Zealand, the governance body of nursing in New Zealand:www.nursingcouncil.org.nz

All successful applicants must gain their New Zealand Registration first before they can apply for an New Zealand practising certificate.

All overseas applicant must supply evidence of nursing practice hours for the past three years while registered as a nurse. This must be in a written format and verified by their employers. This does not apply to new graduates who have trained within the last year. All other applicants will be assessed on an individual basis

Immigration

The Department of Corrections is an Accredited Employer with Immigration New Zealand. This means that we can employ nurses who meet both the Department of Corrections and Immigration New Zealand requirements for a period of up to 30 months.

Please note: The Department of Corrections is not a registered Immigration Consultant and does not provide immigration advice to any parties. The information below, provides a guideline to the steps involved in the Immigration process only, and Immigration New Zealand may change these guidelines without notice.

For Immigration advice and more information, click here.

Do I need to gain New Zealand Nurses Registration and Certification before applying for a New Zealand work permit or work visa?

Yes, before you apply for a work permit or work visa, you are required to gain New Zealand Nurses Registration and Certification with the New Zealand Nursing Council.

Do applicants need to visit New Zealand to gain a work permit?

No. Applicants can apply for a work permit from their country of residence.

What is the difference between a Work Permit and a Work Visa? Do I need both to work for the Department of Corrections?

To work for the Department of Corrections you will need to apply and receive a Work Permit valid for the period of 30 months. A Work Visa is different to a Work Permit, as outlined below:

  • A valid Work Permit means that you can work as a nurse for the Department of Corrections only for a period of 30 months.
  • A valid Work Visa allows a person to travel to the New Zealand border and a permit allows you to remain in the country. It may be a single entry visa (valid for one journey), or a multiple entry visa (valid for more than one journey). At the end of your Work Visa, you can apply for residency based on the fact the Department of Corrections is an Accredited Employer.

What forms do I need to complete to gain a work permit and work visa?

Everyone wishing to enter and work in New Zealand is required to complete the Immigration New Zealand INZ 1015 form. If you are successful in gaining a position as a nurse at Corrections, provisional and gaining a work permit, we can support you through Immigrations "Work to Residence" through the "Talent" (Accredited Employers) Work Policy.

Once you have successfully received a provisional offer of employment from the Department of Corrections, you will need to provide the following documentation to Immigration New Zealand:

  • Provisional offer of employment
  • Job Description
  • INZ 1015 form
  • Evidence of qualifying for the role - A copy of your New Zealand Registration, and a copy of your Annual Practising Certificate from the Nursing Council of New Zealand.
  • Valid Passport of more than 6 months
  • Passport size photo for your application
  • Work Visa application form plus NZ$240
  • Work Permit application plus NZ$240 (only if you wish to leave New Zealand within the 30 months Work Permit period
  • Medical clearance (less than 3 months old)
  • Police clearance (not more than 6 months old, from your country of citizenship(s), and any country that you have lived in for 12 months or more in the last 10 years or more.)

Please ask your recruiter for:

  • A copy of the Departments of Corrections Employer Accreditation letter

If your partner and/or dependants are included in your application, please provide full evidence of the relationship i.e. full birth certificates, marriage certificates, and further evidence to confirm you are in a genuine and stable partnership.

Once you have gathered all your materials and the correct funds, please send them to your local Immigration New Zealand. Please advise your recruiter once you have submitted your application.

For more information on New Zealand Nursing Registration and Certification , or for information on the Immigration process, please contact our recruiters or visit the following sites:

New Zealand Nurses Registration and Certification - www.nursingcouncil.org.nz
Immigration New Zealand -www.immigration.co.nz

How do I apply?

What do I need to have to apply?

To be successfully appointed to a nursing role, you need to be a New Zealand or Australian Citizen, Permanent resident, or hold a current New Zealand Work Permit/visa or be in the process of obtaining a New Zealand work permit/visa (valid for a minimum of two years).

To apply, you must be able to provide copies of:
  • Driver's licence - (Need to drive a manual car and have a full valid New Zealand or International Driver's licence)click here.
  • New Zealand or Australian residency or citizenship (i.e. your passport or birth certificate) OR
  • A work permit (noting the expiry date and work permit conditions) OR
  • A work visa (noting the expiry date) AND
  • Cover letter
  • CV
  • Current practising nursing certificate in your country of residence OR New Zealand
  • A copy of your nursing qualifications
  • A copy of your certification and registration
  • Any other documentation required as requested in the online application form

Once you have applied, you may be contacted and offered an interview with our Health Centre Managers at the site you have chosen to work.

What do I need to be successful?

To be successfully appointed, you must have (and be able to provide copies):
  • New Zealand Registration with the Nursing Council of NZ and Current New Zealand Practising Certificate in primary health care,
  • New Zealand or Australian Residency or Citizenship OR a New Zealand work permit valid for a minimum of 2 years work permit
I'm an Australian citizen or permanent resident

If you are an Australian Registered Nurse, you are required to provide the following items to complete your application:

You must be Registered as a nurse or have a current Annual Practising Certificate from one of the applicable Australian states:

  • Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, Queensland, South Australia, Northern Territory or Western Australia can apply to the Nursing Council of New Zealand for registration and certification under the Trans Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997.

If you require an application pack to be posted to you, please contact the New Zealand Nursing Council with your full name and postal address by telephone + 64 4 385 9589 or by emailling the New Zealand Nursing council at:oseas@nursingcouncil.org.nz

Do I need to gain an International Drivers Licence or New Zealand Drivers Licence?

To work as a nurse at Corrections, you must hold a current full New Zealand or international driver licence (you must be able to drive a manual vehicle as a requirement for this position).

However, you must be able to prove you hold a valid licence and must carry that licence or permit with you whenever you are driving. you will only be able to drive those types of vehicles for which you are licensed in your country of origin.

Driving Licences from most countries are valid for driving in New Zealand for a period of up to 12 months. If you intend to stay in New Zealand for longer than 12 months you will need to get a New Zealand Drivers licence.

Each time you visit New Zealand, you can drive for a further 12-month period on your overseas licence or international driving permit.

What happends if I don't hold a current valid New Zealand drivers licence?

You will not be able to work as a nurse at Corrections. If you do not apply for a New Zealand driver licence within one year of arriving, you'll be considered unlicenced and you must not drive.

Can I convert to a New Zealand licence using only my international driving permit?

No. You can use your international driving permit to drive in New Zealand for up to 12 months but you cannot use it to convert to a New Zealand licence. An international driving permit is issued to a driver who had a valid driver licence at the time the IDP was obtained and remains valid only as long as the driver licence is current. For more information please visit the New Zeland Land Transport Safety Authority at www.nzta.govt.nz

What next?

What happens after I apply?

You will receive an acknowledgement letter, and if you are shortlisted you will be assessed through an interview process.

Who can I contact if I have any questions?

Once you apply, a Department of Corrections recruiter will be in contact with you. They will be your main contact through the recruitment process, and will assist you with any questions or need to move to help you may need to move to New Zealand and work at Corrections. If the site you wish to work in is not listed, please contact one of the recruiters or visit our website at :www.corrections.govt.nz/recruitment/contact-corrections-recruitment.html

Disclaimer

The topics covered here and the resources provided are not exhaustive, nor are the providers or organisations listed formally endorsed by the Department. The Department does not guarantee the accuracy of the information provided, and we do not recommend that you rely on this information as an authoritative source. Rather this information has been provided to give you an indication of some of the services available and are intended as a guide to engage your interest and assist your orientation into the Department. If you would like any part of this clarified or additional information please do not hesitate to contact the recruitment team.

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