Clinical Nurse Specialist – Mental Health Service Older Persons

Location: Mental Health Service Older Persons, Kenepuru Community Hospital, Porirua

Contract: Permanent, Full-time (1 FTE) – 40 hours per week, 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

We have an exciting opportunity for a full-time Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) to join our service. This is an exciting opportunity to work with an innovative, person focused, forward thinking and supportive team across inpatient and community settings. 

The successful candidate will have a key role in supporting the integration of Te Pou’s More Skills for Working with Older People in Mental Health and Addiction Services within our learning and development frameworks 

- https://www.tepou.co.nz/resources/more-skills-for-working-with-older-people-in-mental-health-and-addiction-services.

We are looking for an experienced mental health nurse who is passionate about improving health outcomes for the diverse communities we serve. You will be expected to provide leadership in promoting the development of our nursing workforce and clinical leadership to enhance interdisciplinary working to improve the health outcomes for the people we serve in this specialty service.

You will be joining a team who are passionate and committed to enhancing possibilities and opportunities for ageing well in later life. By utilising your advanced knowledge and clinical skills in collaboration with our interdisciplinary teams and other health providers you will contribute to the development and maintenance of high quality evidenced based specialist care. The salary range for this role is MECA Grade 3 - $122,086 - $133,902 per annum.

About the Team/Service/ Location

Mental Health Service Older Persons (MHSOP) provides specialist assessment, treatment and recovery focused interventions. We are primarily a community based service incorporating a 16 bed inpatient unit based on the Kenepuru Community Hospital campus. 

Our service provides specialist assessment, treatment and rehabilitation services for people with a wide range of mental health conditions. We primarily service people presenting with recent onset functional mental health conditions in later life and people living with dementia associated with significant behavioural and psychological symptoms (BPSD) also referred to as responsive behaviours.

About you

• You will have demonstrated ability to influence and lead our people through change processes, have a clear and strategic vision of the service and be able to enhance the current work being done to ensure operational goals are achieved.
• You will have at least four years’ experience aligning with Mental Health, Addiction or Intellectual Disability Nursing with experience/interest in older persons mental health.
• You will have experience in leadership, coaching and mentoring approaches alongside excellent communication, interpersonal and facilitation skills. 
• You will have experience in practice development and quality improvement strategies and comprehensive knowledge of NZ Health System including equity issues, professional leadership and emerging issues for the nursing profession.
• You will have the ability to work both autonomously and collaboratively with other professionals within a solution focused, excellent time management skills and the ability to effectively and efficiently complete tasks.
• You will Registered with the Nursing Council of New Zealand with a current APC and a Masters in Nursing or enrolment in same (60 credits), Expert (or equivalent) on PDRP and committed to on-going learning.
• You will have completed a pre-registration program in mental health nursing or a post graduate program in mental health nursing.
• You will be able to demonstrate commitment to the application of the principles of Te Tiriti O Waitangi and to improving equitable health outcomes. 
• You will have a Full drivers licence.

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 by 10 August 2025. 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 advert.