Health New Zealand's promoting a wide range of opportunities for graduate registered nurses

More than two thousand nurses will graduate this year - with the first cohort now starting their job search.

National Chief Nurse Nadine Gray encourages graduates to look beyond just hospitals - emphasising 60 percent of practicing nurses work in primary, community and aged care settings.

She says the service is also working towards providing part-time graduate roles.

Almost 85 percent of nurses who applied to the Advanced Choice of Employment program last year found roles.