October 2017 April 2016 | Seite 11
Te Puawai
The Nurse Practitioner Intern
Supervisor/Mentor Project
Article by Liz Manning RN BN MPhil FCNA(NZ)
Over the last few years the collective drive towards
development of Nurse Practitioners (NP) in New Zealand
has focused strongly on the academic and clinical
preparation for advanced clinical practice and great steps
forward have been made. There has however been no
targeted focus on the skills required to be a
supervisor/mentor to these highly skilled nurses. A
project is now underway which shifts the focus onto
health practitioners who are supporting, supervising and
mentoring our NP interns.
Liz Manning RN BN MPhil FCNA(NZ), Project Manager
‘Setting out to become a nurse practitioner is a bold move and no easy task; anyone doing so
needs all the help they can get. We also know the people providing support often welcome
assistance too. The NP support and mentor project will provide an easily accessible quick online
reference guide for anyone who has taken on board the important task of helping our interns
become the best of the best.’
Dr Mark Jones, Project Lead.
In late 2015 the executive of the College of Nurses (NZ) and Nurse Practitioners NZ discussed the
need for resources which could quickly, concisely and effectively inform practitioners who are
approached to be supervisors or mentors of NP interns. The College committed to undertake a
project to develop these resources.
The aim of the project is to establish a suite of online tools, accessible to the public, which will
concisely deliver some important messages about becoming an NP supervisor or mentor,
including;
The NP intern supervisory process and how to best observe and facilitate reflective practice.
NP scope, domains and competencies- reviewing the scope and the requirements of advanced
practice.
NP application process- evidential requirements, portfolio development, writing a reference.
Prescribing practice- reviewing practice against domain four and auditing.
Employing an NP intern- contractual requirements and job descriptions.
© Te Puawai
College of Nurses Aotearoa (NZ) Inc
9