Mō te tūranga
About the role
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Specialisations
Healthcare | Officers & Management
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Entry type
Officer entry
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Initial salary
$97,640
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Location
Various
As a Nursing Officer, you will play a vital role in delivering health care to service personnel across the Navy, Army and Air Force. Your work will span a variety of practice areas both in New Zealand and on deployment or exercises overseas. The main day to day clinical focus is on primary health and emergency care. We are also seeking nurses with specialist experience in areas such as perioperative and surgical nursing, critical care, and aeromedical retrieval. The Nursing Officer role is diverse and rewarding, requiring practitioners who are flexible, agile and able to provide high-quality care in dynamic and sometimes challenging environments.
To support your development, the NZ Army provides comprehensive training and professional growth opportunities; including specialist courses, further education, clinical attachments and mentoring. This ensures you are equipped with the skills, confidence, and resilience to deliver high quality care to patients in remote and some-times austere environments.
If you have reviewed the information below and would like more information on the Nursing Officer role, please email specialists@defencecareers.mil.nz
Apply before the 31st of May 2026
Accepting Applications
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Initial Induction Training 27/1, starts 11 Jan 2027 Apply by 30 Jun 2026
Apply Now
Requirements
Basics
- Must be 18 years old by the time you graduate from recruit course.
- Eligible to meet national security clearance criteria, as stipulated by the Government's Protective Security Requirements.
- Registered Nurse holding a current Nursing Council of New Zealand Annual Practising Certificate.
- Pass an Officer Selection Board.
Education
- Registered Nurse holding a current Nursing Council of New Zealand Annual Practising Certificate
- Minimum of two years post registration experience in one of the following practice areas*
· Perioperative
· High dependency
· Medical and/or surgical ward
· Critical care
· Primary care
· Rural and remote nursing
· Emergency care
*Alternatives can be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Fitness & Medical
Citizenship
There are strict citizenship and security requirements to gain the required SV security clearance for this trade.
Find out if you’re eligible here.
Period of Service
There is no return of service period required.
Please contact our 0800 number or talk to your Candidate Experience Facilitator for more information.
We offer guidance on entry requirements in our eligibility section. Apply if you're uncertain, as we’ll work through the criteria with you to determine if you can proceed.
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Job on base
Nursing Officers are located in a variety of military camps and bases within New Zealand, with the majority of nursing personnel posted to the Manawatu region. Nursing Officers are required to conduct a range of duties including clinical practice in primary, urgent and trauma care, military skills maintenance, leadership and administrative tasks. Flexibility is a key component of nursing in the Defence Force due to the types of military exercises and operations you may be required to support.
Nursing Officers work in a variety of team-based settings either with a multidisciplinary health team or alongside military personnel from other trades and/or Services. As an Officer it is also expected that you can work independently in activities such as resource management, personnel administration and assisting in the planning of training or exercises.
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Job on deployment
Nursing Officers not only contribute to the operational readiness of service personnel by supporting exercises, but frequently deploy overseas themselves.
As a Nursing Officer, you have the opportunity to deploy wherever the NZ Defence Force goes, both on operational deployments and humanitarian aid or disaster relief missions. Few nursing careers offer this level of variety.
Career progression and training
01Basic Training
Basic Training
Officer Cadet School
(12 weeks) Location: Waiouru Military Camp
Initial training begins in early January. Attendees at this training will be a mixture of Regular Force General List Officer Cadets, Regular Force Special List Officer Cadets, and Reserve Force Special List Officer Cadets.
The training will be split into three modules and attendance at Modules One, Two and Three is required for all Regular Force Officer Cadets. Reserve Force Special List Officer Cadets must attend Modules One and Three; this can be in the same year or in consecutive years.
Training covers:
- NZ Army Ethos and Values
- Self-leadership
- Physical Training
- Basic field-craft
- Military Unarmed Combat
- Weapon handling
- Navigation
- Battle-craft
- Radio telephone procedure
- Weapon handling
- Drill
- NZ Army tactics
- Leadership
02Job Training
Job Training
Ongoing training and clinical development are integral to Nursing Officer progression. You will take part in individual and collective training for both clinical and military skills. Continued Professional Development (CPD) funding and allocated study days are available annually for every Nursing Officer. Additional opportunities include leadership development and tertiary study throughout your career.
03Ongoing Training
Ongoing Training
There is an expectation that Nursing Officers will achieve the necessary competencies to practice safely in more than one specialist area of practice, e.g. primary health care and emergency nursing or perioperative nursing and infection control.
You will also be further developed in military skills of leadership and planning.
04Career Progression
Career Progression
There are many opportunities for advancement into management areas as your experience increases. You will also have the opportunity to post to different bases around New Zealand to broaden your knowledge of military nursing.
Benefits & allowances
Earn a competitive salary while training or learning your trade, along with additional allowances for time spent in the field, at sea, overseas, or deployed on operations.
In addition to salary and allowances, other benefits of joining the New Zealand Defence Force include:
- Access to your Service marae or tūrangawaewae
- Sponsored tertiary study programmes at all levels
- Free access to gyms and swimming pools on camp and bases
- Opportunities to travel
- Free and subsidised medical and dental care
- Subsidised food and accommodation on camps and bases
- Subsidised insurance cover
Salary & benefits
Careers in the Army are well-rewarded, diverse and exciting. As you become more experienced and move up through the ranks, gaining additional skills and qualifications, your salary will rise accordingly.
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Initial salary
$97,640
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Future potential earnings
$136,890
Am I fit enough?
If you want to be part of the NZ Defence Force you need to be medically and physically fit for military duties worldwide.
Medical & Fitness
The application process
Your step-by-step guide on what to expect at various stages of the application process, specifically for military roles.
Application process
Ready to start your Army career?
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