Position overview

Key Responsibilities

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

1. Provide, lead and/or facilitate clinical education, reflective practice, preceptorship, clinical supervision, mandatory skills assessment, and competency assessment for nurses working in the forensic mental health inpatient units.
2. Promote a learning environment by utilising adult learning principles, self-directed learning packages and simulated learning scenarios.
3. Participate in risk management, quality improvement, nursing practice review, clinical audit and clinical research activities.
4. Work collaboratively with colleagues and leaders and maintain in depth knowledge of legislation affecting nursing practice across CHS, MHJHADS and specifically the forensic mental health inpatient units.
5. Provide active input into the development and revision of clinical policies and practices.
6. Cultivate and maintain professional relationships with peak bodies in relation to care delivery within a therapeutic secure environment.
7. Participate in continuing professional development appraisal.
8. Undertake other duties appropriate to this level of classification which contribute to the operation of the organisation.

Competencies

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

• Strong leadership and management skills.
• The ability to mentor and guide diverse teams and external parties in a collaborative and influential manner.
• Higher level communication skills and the ability to develop and maintain networks across CHS and external parties with the ability to work within a multi-disciplinary team.
• Individual initiative with strong problem solving and consultation skills

Qualifications

Essential

• Post graduate qualifications or working towards in health education or mental health/forensic mental health
• Be registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
• Proven ability to create evidence-based education packages.

Desirable

• Experience in managing and influencing teams, processes, and practice improvement in a health environment
• Have an understanding of how the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) indicators align with this role
• Certificate IV in Assessment and Training.

Experience

Essential

• Minimum of 4 years’ experience working as a Registered Nurse with a sound understanding of forensic mental health.
• Previous mental health inpatient experience
• Experience or knowledge of the CHS Exceptional Care Framework, Clinical Governance Framework, Partnering With Consumers Framework and all other related frameworks.

Desirable

• Previous experience in QI or research implementation
• Demonstrated experience implementing the Safewards Model in a mental health setting
• Current driver’s license.

Please note prior to commencement successful candidates will be required to:

• 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.

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. Proven clinical leadership, knowledge of clinical guidelines and best practice principles within a contemporary adult mental health service with the provision of forensic mental health and/or secure mental health inpatient care.
2. Demonstrated ability to apply teaching and learning strategies in the clinical area, including the development, implementation and evaluation of professional development, education, and facilitation under limited supervision.
3. Proven ability to develop and apply quality improvement and research strategies in the practice environment to implement effective change management strategies.
4. Demonstrated expert clinical knowledge through problem solving and decision making, while effectively working within an inter-disciplinary environment under limited supervision.
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	Frequently
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)	Never
Working outdoors	Never

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

Travel	Frequency
Frequent travel – multiple work sites	Frequently
Frequent travel – driving	Frequently

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	Occasionally
Low lighting	Occasionally
Handling of dangerous goods/equipment e.g. gases; liquids; biological.	Occasionally
Slippery or uneven surfaces	Occasionally