Professional Development & Recognition Programme

Te Kāhui Kōkiri Mātanga Professional Development and Recognition Programme (PDRP)

The new ‘refreshed’ PDRP is now available for nurses to access and complete a PDRP portfolio submission. All programme information to date is available on the Health NZ PDRP website.  

The PDRP Handbook, Levels of Practice poster and Levels of Practice document are important documents to read to support your PDRP journey. 

Evidence presented in the portfolio needs to be:    

• Current – from practice within the last 3 years

• Valid – meets the required criteria

• Authentic – is attributed to you – your own work

• Sufficient – there is enough evidence to show meeting criteria

• Repeatable – shows you consistently practice in the manner shown in the evidence

• Direct – evidence comes from activities you have performed. 
  
  

The levels of practice document will guide the information needed to be presented throughout the Pou self-assessment examples. You are required to provide a specific example(s) from practice to meet each Pou, the descriptors and levels of practice expectations are there to help guide your example(s). You are writing to the Pou, not each descriptor. 

Manager/Senior Nurse Attestation  

All portfolio submissions are verified and endorsed by your line manager. When the line manager is not a nurse they may delegate this responsibility to another senior nurse.

As there is no specific place in the ePortfolio to note the role and contact details of the manager/senior nurse – it would be very helpful if this was noted in the comments box on the declaration page of the ePortfolio.  

PDRP Level Expectations 

Levels of practice requirements are different in the refreshed PDRP. Don’t automatically expect the evidence requirements to be as they were in the previous PDRP. Take the time to read the Levels of Practice document for the expectations at each level.  

Here is an example of the key words for Pou One: Māori Health associated with the practice expectations. Competent expectations are NZNC Pou descriptors.

Further information on these key words is in the levels of practice document. 

Submission Requirements 

Portfolios must be complete with all the required documents. If a portfolio does not have all the necessary requirements – it will be returned and not accepted for submission.  

PDRP Documents available 

Key PDRP documents available on Health NZ website. 

• PDRP Handbook – resource for all nurses doing PDRP. Outlines level, submission requirements and FAQs

• PDRP Levels of Practice poster – resource for managers and nurses as quick guide for what practice looks like at each level. Contains the levels of practice definitions which are also used for revalidation.

• PDRP Levels of Practice document – guide at level of what practice looks like for each Pou. 

Requests for Further Evidence during Portfolio Assessments 

Throughout the assessment process you may be asked for further evidence in support of your portfolio submission. This is not a reflection on you or your practice – rather that information presented in the portfolio does not accurately reflect the PDRP requirement/s.

These requests are to ensure the assessment is valid and robust and based specifically on the evidence being presented in the portfolio. Please discuss with the assessor if you are unsure about the evidence requests in the first instance, or you can discuss with the PDRP coordinator.

ePortfolio via Mahara

It is recommended all PDRP submissions are now via the ePortfolio. Hard copy templates are available in the interim while all NZ transition to the ePortfolio platform. All nurses accessing the ePortfolio need to have completed HealthLearn course RGIT003 ePortfolio to access the platform. This includes managers or delegated senior nurses who are responsible for the validation and endorsement of a nurse’s portfolio. 

ePortfolio access 

Paper Based Portfolios until June 2026 

Need Help or Support? 

WellSouth  

Please reach out to nurseeducator@wellsouth.org.nz if you require any assistance.  

Or contact  

PDRP Nurse Coordinators 

Otago  
Fraser Building, Dunedin Hospital, Phone: 03 4740999 ext. 59672

Email: PDRP.Otago@southerndhb.govt.nz  

Southland  
Nicola Dowling - Monday - Wednesday  
Phone: 03 2181949 ext. 48018 or 0274084454 
Email: nicola.dowling@southerndhb.govt.nz 

Where PDRP is current at (March 2026)  

• Before any Pou based submissions can be assessed, all Domains based portfolio submissions must be assessed and completed. NCNZ has set a deadline of 1 April 2026 for this to be completed. There will be a delay in assessing Pou based submissions due to this. We are working hard to complete assessments on all Domains based submissions. 

• There are still PDRP documents yet to be released in support of the refreshed PDRP. Those documents include: PDRP Framework, PDRP Policy, Assessor Handbook, Coordinator Handbook. Complete guidance may not be able to be given until the release of some of these documents.