Position overview

Duties

Under limited direction of the Clinical Nurse Consultant you will deliver high quality, evidence based, patient centred care, to our critically ill patients and their families.

• Assesses the health care needs of patients and be responsible for formulating, implementing and evaluating a plan of care for the critical care patient, in partnership with the patient and family where possible

1. Systematically assesses the patient, analyse data and identify the patient’s nursing needs.
2. Apply knowledge and skills, develop and document a plan of care that reflects the identified needs of the patient.
3. Implement the plan of care by providing direct care to patients
4. Recognise changes in the patient’s condition, take necessary action and document variations in the plan of care.
5. Develop and maintain collaborative relationships within the multidisciplinary team

• Respect decisions and actions of other staff; collaborate with team members to achieve desired patient outcomes
• Support and participate in evidence-based programs to evaluate and improve the quality of nursing care and patient outcomes
• Actively participate in identifying areas of nursing practice where improvements can be made to the quality of nursing care.
• Commitment to ongoing professional development of self, other staff and the profession
• Use computerised patient information and other PC based systems to obtain patient and other general information.
• Undertake other duties appropriate to this level of classification which contribute to the operation of the organisation.

Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to the following.

1. Critical thinking, with the ability to make informed decisions based on evidenced based practice.
2. Able to work in a fast paced and high pressure environment.
3. Proven people and communication skills including relationship building, cooperation, conflict resolution, influencing others and facilitating open discussions.
4. Patient centred focus, adaptability, respecting diversity, innovative thinking, application of evidence into practice and self-management
5. Ability to communicate accurately and effectively in both written and verbal forms.
6. Excellent organization and time management skills

Qualifications

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following.

Essential

• Tertiary Qualification or related qualification
• Registered or eligible for registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
• Hold a current ALS qualification.
• Post Graduate qualification in Critical Care Nursing or working towards the same.
• Have an understanding of how the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) indicators align with this role.

Experience

Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to the following.

• Minimum of 4 years post registration nursing experience and at least two years in Critical Care Nursing.
• Prior experience in using and Electronic Medical Record is desirable
• Understanding of and involvement in Quality Improvement Process is desirable
• Involvement in Education or policy development is desirable
• Fulfil the responsibilities of this role in alignment to the CHS Exceptional Care Framework, and all other related frameworks.

Prior to commencement

Appointment to this position is conditional on being granted and retaining appropriate clearances:

• Undergo a pre-employment National Police Check.
• Comply with Canberra Health Services Occupational Assessment, Screening and Vaccination policy.

Important information

All employees are required to:

• Adhere to the Canberra Health Services Values and the ACT Public Service Code of Conduct
• Act in accordance and comply with all relevant Safety and Quality policies and procedures.
• Comply with all relevant clinical and/or competency standards.
• The successful applicant will need to be available to work weekend and/or after-hours work.

CHS is leading the drive to digitally transform health service delivery in Australia through the implementation of a territory wide Digital Health Record. Computer literacy skills are required which are relevant to this role as you will be responsible for completing required documentation and becoming a proficient user of the Digital Health Record and/or other Information Technology systems; once proficient, you will need to remain current with changes, updates, and contingencies.

What you Require (Key Selection Criteria)

These are the key selection criteria for how you will be assessed in conjunction with your resumé and experience.

1. Demonstrated clinical proficiency in critical care nursing practice, including exercising initiative and professional judgement, in assessing, negotiating, delivering and evaluating coordinated and compassionate care.
2. Demonstrated effective leadership skills, including the capacity to undertake the team leader role, as well as effective interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate with patients, family members and other members of the interdisciplinary health care team.
3. Demonstrated ability to implement crisis resource management skills and respond effectively to delegate and direct care related to the management of deteriorating patients.
4. Evidence of commitment to maintaining ongoing professional development of self and others through participation in education and training activities relevant to clinical practice, and contribution to quality improvement processes, policy development and research utilisation.
5. Demonstrates understanding of, and adherence to, safety and quality standards, work, health and safety (WH&S) and the positive patient experience. Displays behaviour consistent with CHS’s values of reliable, progressive, respectful and kind.

Work environment description

The following work environment description outlines the inherent requirements of the role and indicates how frequently each of these requirements would need to be performed. Please note that the ACT Public Service is committed to providing reasonable adjustments and ensuring all individuals have equal opportunities in the workplace.

Administrative	Frequency
Telephone use	Frequently
General computer use	Frequently
Extensive keying/data entry	Frequently
Graphical/analytical based	Occasionally
Sitting at a desk	Frequently
Standing for long periods	Occasionally

Psychosocial demands	Frequency
Distressed People e.g. Emergency or grief situations	Frequently
Aggressive & Uncooperative People e.g. drug / alcohol, dementia, mental illness	Frequently
Unpredictable People e.g. Dementia, mental illness, head injuries	Frequently
Restraining e.g. involvement in physical containment of clients/consumers	Occasionally
Exposure to Distressing Situations e.g. Child abuse, viewing dead / mutilated bodies; verbal abuse; domestic violence; suicide	Frequently

Physical demands	Frequency
Distance walking (large buildings or inter-building transit)	Occasionally
Working outdoors	Never

Manual handling	Frequency
Lifting 0 - 9kg	Occasionally
Lifting 10 - 15kg	Occasionally
Lifting 16kg+	Occasionally
Climbing	Never
Running	Never
Reaching	Never
Kneeling	Occasionally
Foot and leg movement	Never
Hand, arm and grasping movements	Occasionally
Bending/squatting	Frequently
Bend/Lean Forward from Waist/Trunk twisting	Frequently
Push/pull	Occasionally
Sequential repetitive movements in a short amount of time	Never

Travel	Frequency
Frequent travel – multiple work sites	Never
Frequent travel – driving	Never

Specific hazards	Frequency
Working at heights	Never
Exposure to extreme temperatures	Never
Operation of heavy machinery e.g. forklift	Never
Confined spaces	Never
Excessive noise	Never
Low lighting	Never
Handling of dangerous goods/equipment e.g. gases; liquids; biological.	Occasionally
Slippery or uneven surfaces	Occasionally