Health Workforce New Zealand was yet to set the funding pool and priorities for government-funded postgraduate nursing study as Nursing Review went to press.
In a statement, HWNZ director Graeme Benny said it was anticipated that these would remain similar to previous years.
For the past four years, the funding pool for nursing has stayed static at around $12 million a year, and training priorities have been aged care, rehabilitation, and mental health and addiction.
The funds are administered by district health boards but applications are open to not only DHB nurses seeking to pursue postgraduate study but also nurses working in publicly funded health services like residential and community aged care, palliative care, primary health care, and rural health care.
HWNZ-funded postgraduate study statistics
| Year | Training units* |
| 2010 | 1753 |
| 2011 | 1428.7 |
| 2012 | 1442 |
| 2013 | 1480 |
| 2014 | 791 (first semester only) |
*A training unit is the equivalent of a two paper PGCert or one year of a PGDip or Master’s degree programme (with or without clinical mentoring). The cost of a unit can vary from $7,374 per annum to more than $28,000 per annum.
Te Pou Skills Matter (targeted mental health nurse postgraduate funding)
- 2012 - 42 funded places in Clinical Leadership in Nursing Practice (CLNP) programmes.
- 2013 - 40 funded places on CLNP programmes.
- 2014 - 47 trainee places on CLNP programmes.
