Standards and guidelines for nurses

The publications on this page outline the standards and competencies expected of nurses. The guidelines provide advice from the Council to nurses, to assist them to provide safe and competent nursing care.

Code of Conduct standards and guidelines

Code of Conduct Booklet full

Code of Conduct printer friendly (PDF, 235 KB)

Code of Conduct A4 poster (PDF, 227 KB)

Code of Conduct A3 poster (PDF, 265 KB)

Guidelines Prof Boundaries Booklet full

Guidelines Professional Boundaries printer friendly (PDF, 119 KB)

Guidelines Social Media

Scope of practice competencies and guidelines

Competencies for enrolled nurses April 2012
Competencies for nurse practitioners December 2012 (PDF, 124 KB)
Competencies for registered nurses
Guideline Expanded practice for registered nurses May 2011 (PDF, 468 KB)

Guidelines for Practice

Guideline Delegation of care by a registered nurse to a health care assistant (PDF, 454 KB)
Poster Guideline Delegation of care by a registered nurse to a health care assistant (PDF, 156 KB)
Guideline Responsibilities for direction and delegation of care to enrolled nurses (PDF, 454 KB)

Guidelines for Cultural Safety, Te Titiri o Waitangi and Maori Health

Guidelines for Cultural Safety, the Treaty of Waitangi and Maori Health in nursing, education and practice

Position Statements

Advice to Nurses Becoming Quit Card Providers (PDF, 170 KB)
Communication Anaesthetic nursing (PDF, 93 KB)

The International Nurse Regulator Collaborative (INRC), which the Nursing Council of New Zealand is a member of has released a position statement, Social Media Use: Common Expectations of nurses. This statement, which should be read alongside the Nursing Council’s Guidelines Social Media, identifies potential risks that nurses should be aware of to protect the public. Helpful tips to guide nurses in the appropriate use of social media are also included.
International Nurse Regulator Collaborative, Position Statement, Social Media Use (PDF, 86 KB)

About INRC Members

  • Nursing & Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA)
  • Nursing Council of New Zealand (NCNZ)
  • Nursing & Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI)
  • Nursing & Midwifery Council – United Kingdom (NMC-UK)
  • National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)
  • Singapore Nursing Board (SNB)
  • College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO)
  • College of Registered Nurses of British Columbia (CRNBC)

    • In 2011, the members of INRC entered into a memorandum of understanding and cooperation to confirm closer links between the organisations in order to develop common standards for the regulation of nurses nursing practice. The work of INRC contributes to the development of common practices designed to enhance public protection and public safety

    Other guidelines

    HRANZ DHB Guidelines for Competency Referrals (PDF, 175 KB)
    HRANZ Joint Guidelines on transmissible major viral infections (PDF, 53 KB)