Nurse practitioner practice in Aotearoa New Zealand: national Nurse Practitioner Workforce Survey 2025

The aim of this study was to describe nurse practitioner (NP) demographics, practice settings and practising conditions, and to establish the Nurse Practitioner Workforce Survey (NPWORKS) as a repeatable national dataset for longitudinal monitoring.

NPWORKS is a biennial, cross-sectional, self-reported survey administered electronically (January-March 2025). Eligible participants were Te Kaunihera Tapuhi o Aotearoa | Nursing Council of New Zealand-registered NPs with a current annual practising certificate. Descriptive statistics were used.

From 897 registered NPs at the time of the survey, 545 eligible responses were analysed, representing 61% of the registered NP workforce; 381 respondents (70%) completed ≥95% of the survey. Almost all respondents reported patient- and whānau-facing roles (537/545, 99%). Among solely clinically practising respondents, the most common practice areas were primary healthcare (203/441, 46%) and emergency and trauma (79/441, 18%). Māori respondents reported clear understanding that the NP role contributes to reducing inequities (28/38, 74%), although fewer reported complete support to meet Healthy Futures (Pae Ora) Act 2022 obligations (13/38, 34%). Most respondents practising clinically only reported workplace support to practise safely (372/441, 84%), while fewer reported practising to full scope (322/441, 73%). Self-reported high to severe burnout was more common in rural than urban NPs (25/92, 27% vs 47/346, 14%) and among those planning retirement within 5 years (23/80, 29%).

NPWORKS 2025 establishes a national baseline and includes equity enablement measures. It identifies uneven full-scope enablement and sustainability risks, supporting longitudinal monitoring and outcomes-focussed evaluation.