Clinical Coordinator - Purehurehu

Location: Porirua – Ratonga o Rua Porirua Hospital Campus

Contract: Permanent, Full-time 1.0 FTE Monday to Friday

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is dedicated to serving all New Zealanders. Through integration and collaboration, we’re building a health system underpinned by partnership, equity, sustainability, whānau-centred care, and excellence. 

About the Role 

Are you an experienced Registered Nurse looking for a leadership opportunity within a specialist Forensic Mental Health Service?

We are seeking an enthusiastic, innovative, and committed Senior Registered Nurse / Clinical Coordinator to join our team at Purehurehu, Regional Secure Male Forensic Unit. This is an exciting opportunity to combine clinical expertise with leadership responsibilities in a dynamic and highly specialised environment

As a Senior Registered Nurse / Clinical Coordinator, you will work in partnership with the Team Leader to provide clinical leadership and support the day to day management of the unit. 

Key responsibilities include 

• Providing clinical leadership and professional support to nursing staff
• Coordinating daily unit operations and clinical activities
• Promoting best practice in standards of care, safety, and quality improvement
• Supporting staff development, supervision, and mentoring
• Contributing to service planning and continuous improvement initiatives
• Working collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team to achieve positive outcomes for service users
• Ensuring safe, effective, and recovery-focused services for tāngata whaiora

The successful candidate will demonstrate strong leadership, coordination, and decision-making abilities, excellent communication and relationship-building skills, and a commitment to recovery-focused, culturally responsive practice. Experience within forensic mental health nursing is highly desirable. This Monday to Friday position is ideally suited to an experienced Registered Nurse.

Our service provides specialised multidisciplinary assessment, treatment, and recovery focused care for adults admitted through the justice and corrections system. We deliver holistic, person-centred interventions that support recovery, rehabilitation, and wellbeing. Committed to relational security, we prioritise the safety, dignity, and wellbeing of service users, whānau, and staff. Our practice is grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi and guided by the principles of Te Whare Tapa Whā, the Meihana Model, and the Fonofale Model.

Operating within a strong clinical governance framework, we are a progressive service committed to clinical excellence, continuous quality improvement, and workforce development. Staff are supported through regular supervision, a comprehensive Professional Development and Recognition Programme (PDRP), ongoing in-service education, and access to external learning opportunities.

About the Team/Service/ Location 

Our team comprises more than 60 nurses and mental health support workers who work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary framework to provide assessment, treatment, recovery, and rehabilitation focused care.

Purehurehu is a regional 20 bed, medium secure adult forensic mental health unit for men, operating as a 24-hour service on the Ratonga Rua o Porirua Hospital Campus. We provide specialised assessment, treatment, and rehabilitative care for adults referred through the justice and corrections systems.

Our service is committed to supporting recovery, enhancing wellbeing, and maintaining safety for tangata whaiora, staff, whānau, and the wider community. Through a holistic and person-centred approach, we deliver evidence-informed interventions that promote rehabilitation, independence, and positive health outcomes.

Relational security is central to our practice, ensuring that care is delivered in a manner that upholds the dignity, rights, and wellbeing of those we support. Working in partnership with tangata whaiora and their whānau, we foster an environment that encourages recovery, growth, and meaningful engagement.

Our practice is grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi and guided by the principles of Te Whare Tapa Whā, the Meihana Model, and the Fonofale Model. We are committed to culturally responsive care and are driven by values of respect, collaboration, integrity, and continuous improvement

About you 

You are an experienced and motivated Registered Nurse with a passion for forensic mental health nursing and a commitment to delivering high-quality, recovery-focused care. You are a confident clinician who leads by example, builds positive working relationships, and thrives in a collaborative multidisciplinary environment. With strong organisational skills and the ability to think critically, you can effectively coordinate clinical care, support staff, and contribute to continuous service improvement.

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• A current New Zealand Registered Nurse Practising Certificate
• Significant post registration nursing experience in mental health
• Proven leadership, coordination, and clinical decision-making skills
• Excellent communication and relationship-building abilities
• A commitment to culturally responsive, person-centred, and recovery-oriented practice
• Experience in forensic mental health nursing or a related specialist mental health setting (highly desirable)

You will bring enthusiasm, resilience, and a proactive approach to your work, along with a genuine interest in supporting the recovery and wellbeing of people within a forensic mental health environment

Working at Health New Zealand 

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is ‘the weaving of wellness’. We're dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of Aotearoa/New Zealand. 

Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Health New Zealand are committed to being good employers and honouring our equal employment opportunity obligations. We embrace diversity and welcome application from all people, including all gender identities, ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and disability. A workforce that is diverse and inclusive means that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We are pro-equity health organisation, with a particular focus on Māori, Pacific Peoples, and the Disability Community. 

How to Apply 

To apply please click “apply now.” All applications must be submitted through our online careers’ portal.

If you have any questions about the role, please contact Marianne.Lovgren@tewhatuora.govt.nz

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

Position description Apply now

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