Position overview

The Canberra Health Services Division of Allied Health provides a range of allied health services across clinical Divisions of Canberra Hospital.  A strong emphasis is placed across all sections on accessible and timely care, delivered to a high standard of safety and quality. This is underpinned by the Division’s commitment to research and training.  The Division works in partnership with professional colleagues, consumers, and a range of government and non-government service providers to ensure the best possible outcomes for patients.

Physiotherapy within Acute Allied Health Services (AAHS) provides services to a range of clients in acute inpatient and specialised outpatient settings. Our physiotherapists work closely with patients, carers, referrers, other health care professionals and multidisciplinary teams to achieve safe, high quality patient care.

The Acute Medical Unit (AMU) is a recently established clinical service at Canberra Health Services. The AMU is specifically designed to improve the coordination and quality of care for patients, increase efficiency in inpatient management and ultimately assist with improving patient flow across the hospital. Allied health staff are key members of the multidisciplinary team. Their input will expedite the assessment, treatment, referral and appropriate discharge of patients within 48 hours.

Key Responsibilities

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

• Provide high level of appropriate physiotherapy assessment and interventions to patients across a range of specialised acute clinical areas.
• Facilitate effective communication and work collaboratively with patients, families, carers, multidisciplinary team and service providers to ensure continuum of care.
• Complete case documentation, service records and data entry to standards required.
• Exercise independent professional judgement on moderately complex matters, generating innovate solutions to problems and producing a range of options.
• Provide supervision and education to Health Professional 1 & 2, students, allied health assistants and other non-health professional staff, and participate in education programs for area of clinical service delivery.
• Participate in team and program related service activities as required.
• Participate in organisation and implementation of clinical governance activities, research programs, health promotion and quality improvement projects in relevant areas.
• 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.

• As a Practitioner, integrates all other competencies, applying knowledge, skills and professional values in the promotion of health and provision of culturally responsive, high quality and safe, client centred management.
• As a Communicator, form effective therapeutic relationships with clients that facilitate the gathering and sharing of essential information for effective health care and health promotion optimise management and outcomes.
• As a Collaborator, work effectively with health care and other professionals to provide safe, high-quality, client-centred management.
• As a Leader, engage with others to collaboratively in shared decision making for the operation and evolution of the service and in roles as individual care provider and as a leader of the service.
• As a Health Advocate, support clients in navigating the health care system and to advocate with, and for, them to access appropriate resources in a timely manner.
• As a Scholar, demonstrate a commitment to maintaining and enhancing professional competency, achieved through engaging in clinical reflection, continuous learning, teaching others and sharing their knowledge and practices.
• As a Professional, demonstrate commitment to safety and quality in healthcare through ethical practice, high standards of professional behaviour, accountability, and management of their own physical and mental health.

Qualifications

Essential

• Tertiary Qualification or related qualification in Physiotherapy.
• Registered or eligible for registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
• The successful applicant will need to be available for after-hours work including weekend and/or shift pattern.

Desirable

• Have an understanding of how the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) indicators align with this role.

Experience

Essential

• A minimum of three years’ experience working professionally in Physiotherapy.
• Prior work experience in acute medical wards and discharge planning.

Desirable

• Experience or knowledge of 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:

• Pre-employment National Police Check.
• Comply with Canberra Health Services Occupational Assessment, Screening and Vaccination policy.
• Comply with CHS credentialing and scope of clinical practice requirements for allied health professionals.

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.
• Be available for 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 and must be addressed in your application:

1. Proven ability and experience in the physiotherapy management of adult medical patients including those with acute and/or undifferentiated medical conditions requiring work up and management through the integration of evidence into clinical practice.
2. Proven effective communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to work as a member of the multidisciplinary team and to supervise staff and students within the unit.
3. Demonstrated ability to maintain high professional standards and meet organisational requirements for record-keeping, data collection and clinical services evaluation.
4. Demonstrated commitment and experience in clinical governance through quality improvement activities, performance evaluation, clinical supervision and education, research, and health promotion in relevant areas.
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.