Nurse Practitioner – Acute Pain Management Service

• Department of Anaesthesia, Christchurch Hospital
• 0.5FTE (20 hours per week), fixed-term position
• Fixed-term from 5 October 2026 to 4 July 2027

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to building a health system that serves all New Zealanders.

About the Role

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Nurse Practitioner to join the Acute Pain Management Service and Transitional Pain Service, based within the Department of Anaesthesia at Christchurch Hospital.

Working as part of a specialist multidisciplinary team, you will provide expert assessment and management for adults and children requiring specialist pain management input. This includes people receiving advanced pain management modalities, experiencing complex or persistent pain, or identified as being vulnerable to pain chronicity and persistent opioid use following discharge.

The role takes a holistic approach to pain management, recognising the physical, mental, spiritual, cultural, social and emotional factors that can influence a person’s experience of pain. You will work collaboratively with patients, whānau, primary care providers and admitting specialty teams to support effective, coordinated care and improve long-term functional outcomes.

A key focus of the role is improving access and equity for people who may experience barriers to healthcare, including Māori, Pasifika and people living with disability.

In this role, you will:

• Provide specialised nursing assessment, care and interventions within the Acute Pain Management and Transitional Pain Services
• Work autonomously and collaboratively within the wider Anaesthesia team to implement and monitor pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment plans
• Provide expert clinical advice, leadership and advocacy within the specialty of pain management
• Support and educate patients, whānau and healthcare professionals in pain management and promoting wellbeing
• Provide clinical guidance and mentorship to nursing and allied health colleagues
• Contribute to service development, research, audit, policy development and quality improvement initiatives
• Build collaborative relationships across hospital, community, primary and secondary healthcare services to support continuity of care and positive patient outcomes

The hours for this position include every Thursday and every second Friday, with flexibility for either an 8-hour day (7:30am – 4:00pm) or an earlier finish at 2:00pm. Remaining hours are negotiable across Wednesday to Friday. There is also the option to work every third weekend within the 0.5FTE, if desired.

About You

You will be an experienced Nurse Practitioner with clinical expertise in pain management and with a commitment to delivering holistic, equitable and evidence-based care.

You will have:

• Registration with the Nursing Council of New Zealand as a Nurse Practitioner
• A current Nursing Council of New Zealand Annual Practising Certificate
• Validated clinical expertise specific to pain management
• Proven expert clinical assessment skills
• Experience in implementing Te Tiriti o Waitangi in action
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• The ability to work independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team
• Strong planning, clinical judgement and personal accountability
• A commitment to continuous improvement and evidence-based practice

Ideally, you will also have:

• Demonstrated teaching and education skills
• Proven nursing leadership experience
• Enthusiasm for the specialty of pain management
• Experience providing clinical guidance and mentorship to nursing and allied health colleagues

If you are an experienced Nurse Practitioner looking to contribute your specialist knowledge and leadership within a collaborative pain management service, we would welcome your application.

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 Tuesday 25th August.  If you have any questions about the role, please contact Victoria at Victoria.Steiner@TeWhatuOra.govt.nz

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