Clinical Nurse Specialist - Te Whare Manaaki (Forensic Mental Health)

Clinical Nurse Specialist – Te Whare Manaaki (Forensic Mental Health) 

Ready to take the next step in your nursing career and make a real difference in forensic mental health? 

At Te Whare Manaaki, we’re looking for a passionate, experienced nurse who is ready to step into a Clinical Nurse Specialist role and help shape the future of care within our service. This is your opportunity to grow your leadership, deepen your forensic expertise, and be part of a team that genuinely values connection, safety, and recovery. 

Te Whare Manaaki is a medium secure forensic unit within Specialist Mental Health Services and the Regional Forensic Mental Health Service. We support tāngata whaiora who are navigating mental illness alongside serious offending or high-risk behaviours. 

About the role 

In this role, you won’t just be part of the team, but you’ll help lead it. 

As a Clinical Nurse Specialist, you’ll be a visible clinical leader and role model, supporting nurses and the wider multidisciplinary team to deliver safe, thoughtful, and trauma-informed care. You’ll play a key role in strengthening relationships across the service and ensuring a consistent, high standard of practice. You’ll contribute to clinical decision-making, support staff through complexity, and help guide the service forward through quality improvement and best practice. 

What you can expect:

• A dynamic, supportive environment where no two days are the same
• The opportunity to work at the forefront of forensic mental health nursing
• A role that blends clinical expertise, leadership, and service development
• Ongoing opportunities for professional growth and development 

Position details:

• 1 FTE permanent role 

About You 

You bring both clinical depth and genuine human connection to your practice. Comfortable working with complexity and risk, you understand how to balance safety with meaningful therapeutic engagement in a forensic environment. 

In this role, you will champion trauma-informed, recovery-oriented care grounded in forensic mental health best practice. You’ll apply and support others in risk assessment, formulation, and management, including tools such as the HCR-20, while using your clinical judgement to navigate complex situations. 

You’ll provide strong clinical leadership through mentorship, reflection, supporting, guiding and maintaining the team’s confidence and capability. Alongside this, you’ll contribute to audits, quality improvement, and evidence-based practice, while working collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team to ensure integrated care and safe transitions. 

Skills and Experience 

We’re looking for someone who brings:

• Registration with the Nursing Council of New Zealand and a current APC (Mental Health scope)
• Strong mental health nursing experience, with previous experience in forensic mental health settings or experience working with acute presentations and dynamic risk profiles
• A Postgraduate Diploma in Mental Health (or working towards it)
• Knowledge of risk assessment frameworks, violence risk management, and offending behaviour
• Proven ability to support and guide others through clinical complexity
• Experience in audit, quality improvement, and implementing best practice
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to build trust with tāngata whaiora, whānau, and colleagues
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to navigate a fast-paced environment
• A genuine commitment to cultural safety and equitable outcomes, particularly for Māori and Pasifika 

About Us 

We’re a passionate, interdisciplinary team within Specialist Mental Health Services, committed to walking alongside tāngata whaiora and their whānau.

At the heart of what we do is connection and we aim to build therapeutic, respectful, and empowering relationships that support people to move forward in their lives. We value collaboration, integrity, and a shared commitment to making a difference. 

Working at Health New Zealand

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of New Zealand. We embrace a workforce that is diverse and inclusive so that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We welcome applications from our diverse Māori, Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities. 

How to Apply

To apply please click “apply now.” All applications must be submitted through our online careers’ portal by Wednesday, 12th May. If you have any questions about the role, please contact Recruitment Partner Lisa Gray on Lisa.Gray2@tewhatuora.govt.nz

We will review applications as received and may proceed with the recruitment process, before the closing date of this advert.

Whilst Health New Zealand is undergoing change, affected employees will be given preference and priority for this position.

Apply now

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