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
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 Practise 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.
- Meet all of the following recency of practise requirements:
- at least 1 year of post-qualification, full time employment (FTE) 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 criteria for any reason, 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.
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.
- If your additional evidence still does not meet criteria after this 2nd assessment, one of the following will occur:
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 Recertification 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 Documents:
- *Passport or Birth Certificate
- *Evidence of Name Change (if applicable)
- Relating to your post graduate qualification:
- *Degree/Post Graduate Diploma Award
- *Academic Transcript
- *Curriculum
- Multisource Feedback Questionnaire (MFQ) submissions from peers and patients who have observed your practice/activities/behaviours within the past 24 months. Links and instructions are provided in the application for you to share with your nominated persons. We require submissions from:
- 3x Patients/Clients
- 1x Physiotherapy Peer
- 1x Interprofessional Peer
- 1x Mentor
- 1x Mentee
- CV (must be on the Board template)
- 2x Case Studies
- Qualifications and Experience Narrative
- Research into Practise
- APP FTE Form
- APP Competencies Template
- Supporting Evidence to demonstrate you have met each of the APP competencies
* Document must be certified or sent directly to [email protected] by the issuing authority
Application Resources
APP Competency Assessment Template
Qualifications and Experience Narrative Template
If you have any questions, please see our comprehensive help page or contact us via [email protected].
We can provide advice on the preparation of your application; however, we are not able to advise you on whether or not it will succeed.