Mental Health Nurse - Fixed term Full time

Mental Health Nurse – Tertiary Wellbeing Services

Fixed-Term (6 months) - Full time (1FTE)

Are you a registered Mental Health Nurse passionate about supporting ākonga to thrive? We are seeking a skilled and culturally responsive practitioner to join our integrated tertiary health and wellbeing team.

In this impactful role, you will provide clinically led assessment, early intervention, triage, and care coordination, contributing to a holistic and student-centred model of care, across two campuses.  You will play a key role in strengthening service responsiveness and supporting a stepped-care approach that enhances access to timely and appropriate mental health support. The focus of this role is on prevention and culturally responsive practice, with outcomes based on learner engagement, retention, and mental wellbeing in alignment with stepped-care and population-health approaches.

While you will have a primary base location, the role is expected to provide equal support across both campuses, work 2 to 3 days each week at both of our Porirua and Petone campuses. We are open to recruiting a single full time staff member that works across both campuses but we will also consider a job share arrangement, 2x 0.5FTE (2.5 days per week) Nurse at each of our campuses. If you are interesting in a part-time role, please indicate this and which campus you would prefer to be located in your cover letter. 

The Role | Te Kaupapa

As a Mental Health Nurse within our tertiary wellbeing service, you will:

• Deliver comprehensive mental health assessments and brief interventions
• Provide triage and coordinate care across internal and external services
• Support a stepped-care model, ensuring students receive the right level of support at the right time
• Contribute to culturally responsive practices that uphold the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and support diverse student populations
• Promote positive wellbeing, engagement, and academic success for ākonga

Your clinical decisions will directly influence student hauora, retention, and educational outcomes, while ensuring compliance with Te Whatu Ora service expectations.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and facilitate multi-stakeholder project groups (e.g. hauora and wellbeing initiatives)
• Build and maintain strong relationships across the organisation to understand and respond to service needs
• Collaborate with academic and professional staff to enhance integrated student support
• Participate in and prepare for regular professional supervision
• Contribute to service development, quality improvement, and reporting requirements

About You | Me pēhea te tono

You are a compassionate and experienced Mental Health Nurse who brings:

• Current registration with the Nursing Council of New Zealand and a current APC
• Proven experience in mental health assessment, triage, and brief intervention
• Strong understanding of youth/young adult mental health within a tertiary or community setting
• Demonstrated commitment to culturally safe practice and working with Māori and Pacific communities
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and facilitation skills
• Ability to work autonomously and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary environment

• Confidence working our Māori and Pacific ākonga and whānau

Why Join Us?

 Be part of an innovative, integrated wellbeing model

• Make a meaningful impact on ākonga lives and their success

• A range of wellbeing initiatives
• A rewards and recognition programme

• Ongoing professional development and supervision opportunities

About Us

Whitireia and WelTec are respected Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics and form a business division of NZIST – New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology. Together, we are one of New Zealand’s most impressive and globally competitive tertiary institutions.

We value and actively embrace diversity, recognising strengths that different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives bring to our learning community.

We are known for our distinctiveness (Ahureitanga) and our strong relationships with mana whenua —WelTec with Te Ātiawa and Whitireia with Ngāti Toa. Together, we are more than the sum of our parts.

Mā tātou, mō tātou.

Ko WelTec ki Te Ātiawa, koWhitireia ki Ngāti Toa.

E haere kōtui nei mekura-takahi-puni tātou.

 Our Vision | Whakakitenga

Learning together. Transforming lives.

Te ako ngātahi. Tewhakaahua kētanga o te tangata.

To Apply

 Click on Apply Now below and complete the on-line application form. Please note it is important that you complete all sections of the on-line application. For other information please email recruitment@wandw.ac.nz

 Applications close 24 May 2026