Advanced Practise Physiotherapist (APP)

Note: We’ve been reviewing the APP application process and looking at the common questions coming through from APP applicants. As a response to this, we have made some improvements to the processes, to make the requirements as clear as possible. Updates are effective from 1^st April. A Q+A generated from an online session with interested practitioners is available to read here.

We want to emphasise that these are not substantive changes, and there are no new or additional requirements.

The main changes are:
We have updated the forms and templates.
We have removed the requirement to submit your course curriculum.
We have removed the requirement to submit your CV.
We have provided the links to the Multi-Source Feedback Questionnaires (MFQ) in a guidance document on the webpage.

If you are already part way through your APP application, you can continue to use the old templates, or you can switch to the new forms. We recommend you read through the new guidance forms, as these provide some additional information.

What is the APP Scope of Practise?

Developed by the Board to recognise physiotherapists who are practising at an advanced level, the purpose of the APP scope is to aid both the public and referrers to identify those physiotherapists who have demonstrated advanced skills and competencies in a chosen area which may be more suitable for their complex needs.

APPs are able to:

manage or lead episodes of care in partnership with health consumers, their whānau and other health professionals.
combine advanced physiotherapy knowledge and skills with advanced clinical reasoning to provide person and whānau-centred healthcare.
provide advanced assessment and management interventions such as triage for specialist clinics and second opinions for complex cases.
work across healthcare settings, influence health service delivery and the wider profession, and are involved in mentoring, supervision, teaching, or research.

An application may be made for the APP Scope of Practice in one of the following areas:

Cardiorespiratory
Hand Therapy
Musculoskeletal
Neurology
Occupational Health
Older Adults
Paediatrics
Pain
Sports
Pelvic Health

The Board may give permission for an applicant to apply in an area that is not on the list. Approval is required before such an application is submitted. Please contact the Board for more details.

Successful applicants will demonstrate advanced clinical skills, competencies and knowledge and contribute to the profession through mentoring and developing leadership skills.

The title ‘Advanced Practice Physiotherapist’ and ‘APP’ as an abbreviation are protected and only those who are registered in the APP Scope of Practice are allowed to use these titles.

Who can apply?

Prospective applicants must:

Hold unrestricted registration in the General Scope of Practice with the Board, and
Hold a current Annual Practising Certificate (APC), and
Have successfully completed a minimum of a post-graduate diploma that:
- requires an Aotearoa | New Zealand Bachelor of Physiotherapy (or equivalent) for entry to the degree programme and
- is relevant to clinical physiotherapy practice.

Note: The Board does not endorse or recommend any specific programmes for registration in the Advanced Practice Physiotherapist (APP) Scope of Practice. Applicants need to ensure their qualifications meet the criteria set out in the New Zealand Gazette.

Meet all of the following recency of practise requirements:
- at least 1 year of post-qualification, full time equivalent (FTE) clinical experience in Aotearoa | New Zealand, and
- at least 5 years of post-qualification, full-time equivalent (FTE) clinical experience, and
- at least 3 years of full-time equivalent (FTE) clinical experience relevant to a nominated area of physiotherapy practice in the 10-year period immediately prior to the date of your application.

What does it cost?

Please refer to our Fees Schedule here. Please note that the application fee is non-refundable.

How long does it take?

Once all required documents are confirmed to have been received, APP applications are averaging 2-3 months for processing and assessment. Please note these timeframes are subject to change.

To avoid delays in processing your application ensure you include all the required information. Your application may be declined or returned for further work if it is not complete.

What is the process for this application?

Phase 1: Initial Review

After you submit your application, we will review it for completeness. If documents or evidence are missing or we have concerns about your eligibility, we will email you for further information before your application is sent on for processing.

If your application does not meet eligibility criteria for moving on to the assessment phase, one of the following will occur:

You are given the opportunity to Withdraw your application.
Your application is Returned.
We propose to Decline your application.

If your application is complete and meets eligibility criteria it will move on to the Assessment.

Phase 2: Assessment

We select two assessors with appropriate experience levels in your nominated area of practise. The assessors and applicant are all contacted to ensure there is no conflict of interest. If there are no issues, your application is sent out for assessment.

There are two outcomes from this process:

If your application meets criteria, it is put forward for Registration.
If your application does not meet criteria, you are given an opportunity to resubmit with additional or updated evidence.
- If your additional evidence still does not meet criteria after this 2nd assessment, one of the following will occur:
  - You are given the opportunity to Withdraw your application.
  - We propose to Decline your application.

Phase 3: Registration

Applications deemed to meet the minimum requirement for registration are sent to our Registrar for approval. Once this is completed you will receive an email confirmation.

Recertification following Registration

Once a physiotherapist has been registered in the APP Scope of Practice, they are required to maintain the competencies and requirements set by the Board for the Scope. The continuing professional development requirements for the APP Scope of Practice have the same criteria as the General Scope, as outlined in the Recertification Programme Guidelines, however, the majority of the ‘lifelong learning’ is required to be in the nominated clinical interest area for which they were granted APP status. Majority is defined as more than 50% of the total CPD undertaken by the practitioner.

Required Document

- *Evidence of Name Change (if applicable)
- Documents relating to your post graduate qualification:
  - *Degree/Post Graduate Diploma Award
  - *Academic Transcript
* Document must be certified and uploaded into the online application portal, or sent directly to [email protected] by the issuing authority
- Multisource Feedback Questionnaire (MFQ)
Please refer to the MFQ guidance document for the link to the questionnaire and a list of who this needs to be completed by.
- Portfolio and Supporting Evidence
Applicants are required to submit evidence which demonstrates that they have met the APP competencies. The portfolio consists of mandatory and supporting evidence.

Please refer to the templates and guidance documents in the resources section below.

Documents are to be in word format and uploaded directly into the application portal. The mandatory documents are to be uploaded as individual word documents and the remaining additional evidence, can be uploaded as a zip file.

The portfolio will be made up of three parts:

1. Mandatory submissions
- APP Competencies Assessment Document
- A minimum of two Case studies
- A Research into Practice submission
- Qualifications and Experience Narrative
- Two reflections
2. Further supporting evidence
The mandatory submissions are not likely to cover all of the required APP competencies. Additional documents should be provided to demonstrate you have met each of the APP competencies. Please refer to the APP Competency Assessment Guidance document for more information.

3. Evidence of work history
Applicants are required to provide their work history, to show that they meet the clinical experience requirements for the APP Scope of Practice. This needs to be completed on the APP Confirmation of Required Clinical Hours form.