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.

This Primary Contact Physiotherapy position will support the delivery of extended hours of service provision in the Canberra Hospital Emergency Department and the Urgent Care Centre (UCC) located at the Weston Creek Walk-in-Clinic. Under supervision, you will play a key role in delivering high-quality person-centered care and associated functions to support service delivery in clinical areas.

Clinical supervision and professional development is provided through team structures, supervision support, competency-based assessments and professional development opportunities.

You will be required to participate in a shift, overtime and/or restricted on-call roster.

Key Responsibilities

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

Under limited direction of the AAHS Physiotherapy Manager you will be required to work across acute care settings at Canberra Hospital. You will:

1. Provide high level of clinical expertise and practice across a range of clinical areas, including, but not limited to, the Emergency Department and UCC
2. Facilitate effective communication and work collaboratively with the patients, families, carers, and health care and service providers to ensure continuum of care.
3. Complete case, program and activity records to standards required while ensuring data retention policies are followed.
4. Exercise independent professional judgement on moderately complex matters, generating innovate solutions to problems and producing a range of options.
5. 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.
6. Participate in team and program related service areas as required.
7. Participate in supervision, credentialing, continuing professional development, and performance management.
8. Undertake other duties as directed, within the approved scope of clinical practice, ensuring the delivery of person and family centred, safe and high-quality patient care.
9. 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 organisational skills with a high degree of drive.
• Adaptability and flexibility to accommodate change and provide responsive services to meet clients’ needs.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills.

Qualifications

Essential

• Relevant Tertiary qualifications.
• Be registered or be eligible for registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
• Commitment to complete relevant Primary Contact Training program including mandated external coursework within the contract period.
• The successful applicant will need to be available for shift patten of work including weekend and after-hours work.

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’ post qualification experience working professionally in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy or related area/discipline.

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.

1. Proven ability and experience in physiotherapy, high level of musculoskeletal assessment, diagnosis and appropriate onward management for patients, facilitating integration of evidence base into practice through advanced level of clinical reasoning and decision making.
2. Demonstrated 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.