the surfing nurse

Category: New Zealand

  • New Zealand Nursing OSCE: My Preparation Journey

    I’m happy to share that I’ve taken another step forward: I’ve been invited to sit the OSCE.

    This is the final examination on my path to becoming a registered nurse in New Zealand, and I’m really excited about it. Nervous, of course – but this is very different from the practical examination I passed in Germany in 2022: one setting, one patient, in a neurological ICU.

    What the OSCE involves

    The OSCE consists of 10 simulation stations. Each station lasts 12 minutes in total: 2 minutes to read and prepare, 8 minutes to complete the scenario, and 2 minutes to move to the next station. The stations are:

    1. Mental health assessment.
    2. Physiological assessment.
    3. Specific physiological assessment.
    4. Professional responsibility.
    5. Emergency management.
    6. Clinical skills.
    7. Medication administration.
    8. Communication and teamwork.
    9. Planning nursing care.
    10. Managing the deteriorating patient.

    For me, the best preparation is working on a hospital ward. That is one of the reasons I have extended my current service aboard the Africa Mercy in Madagascar.

    I’m also practising the different stations with Kiwi Nurse Academy. This is helping me understand high-scoring approaches, avoid common mistakes, and prepare for New Zealand’s expectations around cultural safety, Te Tiriti o Waitangi -the Treaty of Waitangi- communication, and patient rights.

    Cultural safety is an important part of nursing practice in Aotearoa New Zealand. The Nursing Council’s updated 2026 guidance places particular emphasis on relationships, power-sharing, accountability, reflective practice, and addressing bias and structural inequities in healthcare.

    Why New Zealand?

    Some of you may wonder why I chose New Zealand over Australia (for now).

    First, I turned 45 in June, which affected my migration options for Australia. Second, the cost of sitting the exam in Australia is exorbitant, with preparation courses costing roughly the same as the examination – around AU$4,000 each.

    Some people argue that the price difference between the two countries reflects the difference in income. But I’m not in for the money but rather for peace and quiet.

    Costs (OSCE exam & OSCE prep): 3,500.00 NZ$ & 499.00 NZ$

    Test day: 16 December 2026, Christchurch (New Zealand)

  • Nursing Council NZ registration: My TruMerit journey

    I started my registration in New Zealand a little later than my AHPRA process. While preparing to leave Germany I sold most of my things – my speakers were bought by a friendly guy who lived and worked in New Zealand and suggested I register there because the process is easier and less expensive. Surf and nature didn’t hurt the argument either.

    TruMerit verification and initial submission

    The Nursing Council only accepts applications approved by TruMerit, an outsourced non-profit based in the USA. Their document-authentication process differs slightly from Australia’s. I submitted my TruMerit application in August 2025. Same as for Australia, they have never received bachelor nursing qualifications from Germany and after a quick review, they asked for further proof to be sent directly from the University Clinic of Cologne and the Cologne Department of Health.

    Coordinating documents from abroad

    In September 2025 I was in Indonesia and coordinated with both the Department of Health in Cologne and the ‘Institut für Pflegewissenschaft‘ at the University Clinic of Cologne to obtain the additional documentation TruMerit required: confirmation of my substantial nursing education and a valid license to practice. Both documents required my original signature and date, which I prepared in Southeast Asia and sent to my father, who coordinated the process for me in Germany.

    The Department of Health quickly sent my licence confirmation directly to TruMerit by mail after having received the first page from my father. The university needed more time: they had to provide detailed study content with theoretical, clinical, and laboratory hours. Multiple departments and staff were involved, which slowed the process.

    I tried to speed things up by arranging express FedEx from Cologne to the U.S., but that turned out to be a mistake. I learned I mustn’t be directly involved in the verification chain — my involvement would raise questions about the documents’ legitimacy. That meant re-signing and dating the first page and sending the original from Cambodia back to Germany. Fortunately the university was helpful; once they received my accompanying page they re-sent the completed, signed form by regular courier. My transcript of record was not included initially, so I requested it again; it arrived and was approved by mid-March 2026

    Tracking down a delayed delivery

    As my registration status hadn’t changed, I contacted the Department of Health to find out what happened to the documents. There was still a chance the mail hadn’t cleared customs for whatever strange reason, given the current political situation. My contact eventually confirmed the packet had been delivered back in December. I could hardly stop myself from calling and shouting down the phone, so I restrained and sent an email with the proof of delivery instead. By April I finally received the final report to be approved and submitted to the Nursing Council of New Zealand.

    Registration and the IQN

    I applied for Nursing Council registration, completed a foundation in cultural competency and the Ngā Paerewa Te Tiriti o Waitangi course, and in May I was invited to register with Pearson VUE to take the IQN (theoretical exam).

    Money invested so far: € 890

    The IQN is a computer-based multiple-choice test consisting of two parts: Part A — Medication Safety (12 questions in 30 minutes) and Part B — Nursing Knowledge (108 questions in 135 minutes). Unlike the NCLEX, the IQN questions are not adaptive; every candidate receives the same difficulty level.

    Test day: 29 June 2026, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.