Position overview

Acute Allied Health Services (AAHS) Physiotherapy provides services to a diverse cohort of patients across acute inpatient and outpatient settings. This includes the delivery of evidence-based interventions for people with chronic and complex conditions, with a strategic focus on reducing preventable hospital presentations and supporting safe discharge and transition of care across the continuum.

AAHS Physiotherapy are establishing an additional Pulmonary Rehabilitation service as part of the Managing Chronic Disease – Hospital Avoidance for COPD initiative. This service aims to reduce preventable hospital utilisation through early, evidence-based intervention for people with chronic respiratory disease.

The HP3 Pulmonary Rehabilitation Physiotherapist is responsible for the delivery of high-quality, evidence-based pulmonary rehabilitation to patients with chronic respiratory disease. Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, the role contributes to the implementation of a new service aimed at improving access to pulmonary rehabilitation programs for ACT residents.

The position focuses on the provision of clinical care that supports improved functional capacity, symptom management, and self-management, with the goal of reducing hospital admissions, readmissions, and length of stay. The role will prioritise timely access for high-risk patients, contributing to improved patient flow and supporting demand management across acute and outpatient services.

Under the guidance of senior clinicians, the HP3 Physiotherapist contributes to service development activities, including participation in quality improvement initiatives, data collection, and outcome measurement to support evaluation of the program’s impact. The role also supports coordination of care through effective communication with internal teams and community-based services to facilitate safe and sustainable patient transitions.

The position contributes to workforce capability through participation in staff and student supervision, professional development, and student education, while maintaining clinical competence and adhering to professional and organisational standards. The role supports the delivery of a sustainable, patient-centred model of care aligned with organisational priorities for improved health outcomes, access, and system efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

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

1. Provide competent, evidence-based physiotherapy assessment, clinical reasoning, and intervention for patients with chronic respiratory conditions, including COPD, across pulmonary rehabilitation and relevant acute and outpatient settings.
2. Contribute to the implementation and delivery of a pulmonary rehabilitation service, ensuring clinical practice aligns with evidence-based guidelines, hospital avoidance priorities, and integration with existing services.
3. Support cardiorespiratory physiotherapy service delivery through participation in supervision, teaching, and support of colleagues and students, under the guidance of senior clinicians.
4. Work collaboratively with the Manager AAHS Physiotherapy, senior physiotherapy staff, multidisciplinary teams, and external stakeholders to support coordinated, safe, and effective service provision.
5. Contribute to designated service portfolios, including pulmonary rehabilitation, through participation in service development, evaluation, and quality improvement activities, under direction.
6. Participate in service improvement and evaluation activities, including collection and documentation of clinical and service data to support monitoring of patient outcomes and service effectiveness.
7. Contribute to the education and training of staff to support best practice management of patients with chronic respiratory disease.
8. Actively participate in professional development and engage in supervision and mentoring processes to support ongoing clinical development and workforce capability.
9. Support the utilisation of students within the pulmonary rehabilitation service to enhance service delivery and contribute to future workforce development.
10. Undertake other duties appropriate to this level of classification that contribute to the operation and continuous improvement of the organisation, including participation in rostered services and weekend work as required.

Competencies

Specific competencies 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

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

Essential

• Tertiary Qualification in Physiotherapy.
• Registered or eligible for registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

Desirable

• Post graduate qualifications in education and training or relevant clinical field.
• Have an understanding of how the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) indicators align with this role.

Experience

Essential

• Minimum of 3 years clinical experience post entry level qualifications.
• Experience in Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapy.

Desirable

• Previous experience as a clinical or student supervisor highly desirable.
• Experience in coordinating health promotion programs and service evaluation.
• 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:

• Undergo a 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 rosters.

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 experience delivering high-quality physiotherapy services for patients with chronic respiratory and/or complex medical conditions across acute and/or outpatient settings, with the ability to apply sound clinical reasoning and evidence-based practice, including in pulmonary rehabilitation and chronic disease management.
2. Demonstrated experience in clinical education, including participation in supervision and support of staff and students, and delivery of education and exercise programs relevant to cardiorespiratory physiotherapy and pulmonary rehabilitation.
3. Well-developed interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary teams, support colleagues and students, and establish collaborative working relationships with internal and external stakeholders to deliver a new and evolving service.
4. Demonstrated ability to contribute to service development and quality improvement activities, including participation in the implementation and evaluation of service initiatives and supporting the collection of outcome data aligned with organisational priorities.
5. Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to safety and quality standards, including work health and safety (WHS), patient-centred care, and positive consumer experience, with behaviours consistent with CHS 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.