20539 (2026). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister for Tertiary Education

20539 (2026). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister for Tertiary Education: How many domestic and international students commenced study in 2025 in each of the Bachelor of Nursing, the Master of Nursing Science, and the New Zealand Diploma in Enrolled Nursing?

Hon Penny Simmonds: I refer the member to the attached table that shows the number of domestic and international learners who commenced study in a nursing qualification in 2025. These values are based on TEC Education Performance Indicator for the qualification completion rate and counts learners who first started a nursing qualification in 2025. It excludes learners who previously had been enrolled in a qualification at the same level within the previous six years at the same TEO. Note learners who start at a TEO in a different qualification and transfer into a nursing qualification will not be counted in the numbers below. The table has been divided into three categories of nursing qualifications: • Degree-level Nursing: Degree (Level 7) and Degree with Honours (Level 8) nursing qualifications that are a pre-requisite to registration as a Nurse. • Graduate Entry Nursing: Masters (Level 9) nursing qualifications, designed for learners who have previously completed a degree in a non-nursing subject area, that is a pre-requisite for registration as a Nurse. • Enrolled Nursing: New Zealand Diploma in Enrolled Diploma (Level 5) qualification that is a pre-requisite for registration as an Enrolled Nurse. Enrolled nurses operate under the guidance of a registered Nurse.