Qualifications

Overseas trained practitioners come to New Zealand with an extraordinarily broad range of qualifications, experience and skills. Applicants come from many countries with both recent and historical qualifications, gained at hundreds of different educational institutions. It is therefore not possible for professional societies or CPRB to provide a comprehensive list of what qualifications could be considered equivalent to current New Zealand qualifications.

Overseas Registration

Current registration as a clinical physiologist, physiology technician, or equivalent with a recognized registration board or registration authority in your current country of residence is required when applying for registration in New Zealand. Registration will only be undertaken for candidates who intend to work within the New Zealand health service. 

Society Membership

A pre-requisite to NZ registration is gaining membership to the relevant NZ professional society:

• For Cardiac Physiologists or technicians - The Society of Cardiopulmonary Technology NZ SCT
• For Renal physiologists - New Zealand and Australia Society of Renal Dialysis Practice NZASRDP
• For Respiratory physiologists - Australia and New Zealand Society of Respiratory Science ANZSRS
• For Sleep physiologists/scientists - Australia & New Zealand Sleep Science Association ANZSSE
• For Clinical Exercise Physiologists - Clinical Exercise Physiology New Zealand CEPNZ
• For Neurophysiology technologists - New Zealand Society for Neurophysiological Technologists NZSNT

Once society membership to one of the above societies is achieved, an application for registration can be made.

Conditions

Registration is granted on a case by case basis, and in most cases successful registrants are registered with a condition of supervised practice for a period of time - usually until a practical competency assessment has been passed.

Competency assessments reassure the board, the professional society and the New Zealand public that overseas trained practitioners are practicing at an equivalent level to New Zealand trained clinical physiologists. The practitioner is required to be supervised in their new role until the competency assessment is passed, with additional orientation or up-skilling provided by their employer in the interim. This usually occurs in the first year of employment in NZ.

APCs

Annual practicing certificates (APC) are not available to overseas based practitioners, however if a registrant has either a) a definite offer of employment in New Zealand or b) the registrant has started in a physiologist / technician role in New Zealand, they can apply for a APC. The APC will state the conditions of practice. Overseas applicants should always make prospective NZ employers aware of any conditions of practice that will apply to them.

English language

CPRB does not set a level of English language competency, but most NZ healthcare employers will.

While English is the primary spoken language of NZ, Maori is also an official language. The population of  NZ is increasingly multi-lingual, and the ability to speak other languages is highly valued in a healthcare setting. It is however, very important to have a good understanding and oral fluency in English to practice safely and competently in the NZ health system.

CPRB recommends IELTS level 6

Documents

The following documents will need to be provided to CPRB. A checklist is on the application form.

• Proof of NZ Society membership as above
• A colour scan of your current passport
• Curriculum Vitae / Resume
• Certified copies of your Physiologist qualifications (stamped and certified by solicitor/notary/justice of the peace)
• Certified copies of current registration certificate/s from the country in which you are residing

The following may be requested - if you already have them, include in your application:

• Certificate of good character from 2 referees not related to you, one of which should be a registered medical professional
• Certificate of Good Standing from your current registration board
• Criminal background check

Renewal of Registration

Non-resident registration is valid for 12 months. For those based overseas, this can be renewed annually provided membership of the professional society is also renewed.

Those who have gained employment in the NZ health system, should inform CPRB so that:

• their employment and contact information is updated with CPRB
• their registration status adjusted from non-resident
• they can be issued with an APC
• they should also enroll in or arrange for any competency assessment required to be undertaken

Renewal is annual via the APC renewal process for all practitioners employed in NZ. Conditions of practice can be lifted from the APC once the required competency assessment has been successfully completed.

For specific information for a particular scope, see the relevant page of the Scopes of Practice section.