More nurses are training to become Nurse Practitioners

Nurse Practitioners assess, diagnose and treat health problems -- there are 750 around the country.

Health New Zealand is funding 121 places on the Nurse Practitioner Training Programme -- a 51 percent increase compared to last year.

The increase is due to a higher number of eligible nurses applying to take part.

Nurse Practitioners New Zealand Chair Sandy Oster says many nurse practitioners are in rural and under served communities.

She says programmes like this add medical skills required so nurses can independently diagnose and prescribe treatments for patients.