Position overview

Canberra Health Services (CHS) is focussed on the delivery of high quality, effective, person-centred care. We provide acute, sub-acute, primary and community‐based health services, to the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and surrounding regions. More information can be found on the CHS website.

About the Neonatology Department

The Neonatal Department at Canberra Hospital provides comprehensive neonatal care to the ACT and surrounding NSW regions. The department is a tertiary referral centre serving a delivery population of 10,000.

Key Statistics:

- Approximately 3,500 deliveries per year at Canberra Hospital

- Principal referral centre for high-risk pregnancies

- Only tertiary care neonatal unit in the region

- 800 neonatal admissions per year

- 300 admissions requiring respiratory support

- 21 intensive care/high dependency neonatal beds

- 18 special care nursery beds

- Supported by seven Neonatologists, four Advanced Trainees, one SCMO, ten Registrars, and three SRMOs

- Active teaching and research program

The Role

The Career Medical Officer (CMO) position offers a stimulating clinical role with excellent professional development opportunities. The CMO will work primarily on the fellow (advanced trainee) roster but may be rostered to the registrar roster depending on clinical experience. delivering high-quality patient care across all areas of the neonatal service. There is also flexibility to provide registrar cover when operationally required.

Primary Focus:

- Work on the neonatal fellow (advanced trainee) roster

- Deliver clinical care across the NICU, SCN, and postnatal wards

- Provide support for deliveries and antenatal counselling

- Contribute to outpatient clinics and neonatal retrieval services (NETS ACT)

- Secondary capacity to cover registrar duties depending on service requirements.

The CMO will work within a supportive multidisciplinary team, under the supervision and direction of the Neonatologists and Clinical Director, and will be expected to contribute to teaching, quality improvement, and the vibrant academic culture of the department.

Why Apply?

• Excellent Clinical Environment: Work in a well-resourced, accredited tertiary neonatal unit with supportive senior staff
• Professional Development: Strong emphasis on continuing professional development, research, and academic engagement
• Work-Life Balance: Good working conditions under the ACTPS Medical Practitioners Enterprise Agreement
• Team Culture: Collegial, collaborative environment with strong emphasis on junior staff support and professional growth
• Location: Canberra offers a high quality of life, excellent schools, and strong community connections
• Leadership Opportunities: Potential to contribute to departmental administration, rostering, and quality improvement initiatives

Key responsibilities

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

• Provide competent and efficient clinical management of neonatal patients under supervision of Consultant Medical Practitioners
• Manage acute admissions, inpatient care, and participate in outpatient clinics and high-risk antenatal counselling
• Contribute to the after-hours and on-call roster. The current after hours roster is on-call but may transition to onsite depending on operational requirements.
• Participate in neonatal retrieval services (NETS ACT)
• Maintain accurate, legible medical records and ensure timely discharge summaries
• Participate in the supervision and teaching of junior medical staff, including registrars and SRMOs
• Contribute to clinical audit, quality improvement activities, and neonatal research
• Support multidisciplinary team functioning in a family-centred care model
• Maintain currency in neonatal advanced life support and intensive care procedures
• Participate in the departmental teaching program and journal club
• Undertake other duties appropriate to this classification
• Undertake other duties appropriate to this level of classification which contribute to the operation of the organization.

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Clinical Care Provision: Deliver competent and efficient clinical management of neonatal patients of the ACT Health Directorate under the supervision and direction of Consultant Medical Practitioners. Clinical management will include:
  • Acute admissions and inpatient care
  • Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) management
  • Special Care Nursery (SCN) management
  • Participation in outpatient clinics and follow-up assessments
  • High-risk antenatal counselling
  • Interdisciplinary consultations and clinical handovers

• After-Hours and Retrieval Commitment: Participate in the after-hours and on-call roster, including first-line response for neonatal emergencies and neonatal retrieval services through NETS ACT (the local component of NETS ACT/NSW)

• Multidisciplinary Teamwork: Work within and provide leadership to the multidisciplinary clinical team, supporting a family-centred care model. Maintain cooperative relationships with referral centres and other departments including:
  • Paediatric Medicine
  • Paediatric Surgery
  • Emergency Department
  • Anaesthetics
  • Adult Intensive Care

• Medical Record Management: Maintain accurate, legible medical records and ensure that the clinical team completes discharge summaries and clinic letters in a timely manner

• Clinical Skills Maintenance: Maintain currency of intensive care skills and procedures, including:
  • Basic and Neonatal Advanced Life Support competencies
  • Invasive procedural skills (intubation, central lines, thoracostomy, etc.)
  • Clinical performance assessment and continuous improvement

• Supervision and Teaching:
  • Participate in the supervision, training, and professional development of junior medical staff, including paediatric trainees, basic trainees, and Senior Resident Medical Officers
  • Contribute to the teaching of medical students and junior doctors
  • Assist with clinical mentorship and assessment of trainees
  • Support departmental education initiatives

• Quality Improvement and Audit:
  • Contribute to clinical audit and quality improvement activities
  • Participate in departmental mortality and morbidity reviews
  • Engage with open disclosure and patient safety initiatives
  • Support changes that improve quality and safety of patient care

• Research and Academic Engagement:
  • Participate in departmental research activities and initiatives
  • Support research projects within the unit
  • Contribute to journal club and academic meetings
  • Demonstrate commitment to evidence-based practice

• Administration and Operational Support:
  • Contribute to rostering and operational planning as required
  • Support departmental administration and organisation
  • Participate in recruitment processes and orientation of new staff
  • Contribute to policy development and procedural documentation

• Professional Development:
  • Participate in continuous professional development in both theoretical knowledge and practical skills
  • Maintain evidence of professional development and competence maintenance

• Departmental Leadership:
  • Work alongside senior medical staff to provide care and leadership within the department
  • Promote a commitment to high-quality, customer-service principles, practices, and attributes
  • Demonstrate commitment to the CHS Values: Reliable, Progressive, Respectful, and Kind

Additional Duties: Undertake other duties appropriate to this classification which contribute to the operation of the organisation

CHS is committed to workforce diversity and to creating an inclusive workplace. As part of this commitment, we welcome applications from all diversity groups. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disability and people who identify as LGBTQIA+ are particularly encouraged to apply.

Competencies

Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to the following.

• Clinical Practice: Provide competent and efficient clinical management under supervision of Consultant Medical Practitioners, with appropriate clinical decision-making and safe patient care practices
• Leadership and Teamwork: Work effectively within and provide leadership to the multidisciplinary clinical team; maintain cooperative relationships with referral centres and other departments
• Teaching and Mentorship: Participate in supervision, training, and professional development of junior medical staff; demonstrate commitment to teaching at all levels
• Quality and Safety: Demonstrate understanding of and adherence to safety and quality standards, Work Health and Safety practices, and commitment to continuous quality improvement
• Professional Values: Display behaviour consistent with CHS Values (Reliable, Progressive, Respectful, Kind) and the ACT Public Service Code of Conduct
• Communication: Demonstrate effective written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, including ability to engage with patients, families, and multidisciplinary teams
• Clinical Governance: Understand and actively engage in clinical governance, incident management, and open disclosure processes

Qualifications

Essential

• MBBS or equivalent medical degree
• Registered or eligible for registration with Ahpra
• Current Basic Life Support and Neonatal Life Support competencies

Desirable

• Have an understanding of how the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) indicators align with this role.
• Fulfil the responsibilities of this role in alignment to the CHS Exceptional Care Framework, Clinical Governance Framework, Partnering for Exceptional Care Framework and all other related frameworks.

Experience

Essential

• At least three to five years postgraduate experience with substantial neonatal intensive care experience in a tertiary Australian neonatal unit
• Demonstrated competence in neonatal acute care and intensive care management
• Ability to work independently within defined protocols with appropriate supervision

Desirable

• Experience in clinician-performed ultrasound
• Experience in neonatal retrieval
• Knowledge of the CHS Exceptional Care Framework and related strategic frameworks
• Experience in quality improvement, audit, and research
• Demonstrated teaching experience
• Evidence of continued professional development
• Experience or knowledge of the CHS Exceptional Care Framework, and all other related frameworks.

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.
• 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, experience and referee reports.

1. Relevant Experience and Clinical Expertise
   • Demonstrated relevant experience and sound knowledge of evidence-based medical practice in neonatology, particularly in tertiary intensive care settings
   • Demonstrated competence in acute neonatal care and intensive care management
   • Clear ability to work independently within appropriate protocols with supervision
2. Communication and Teamwork
   • Well-developed communication and interpersonal skills
   • Ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team
   • Ability to provide leadership where required
   • Effective clinical handover and communication skills
3. Commitment to Professional Development
   • Demonstrated commitment to the maintenance and further development of skills in neonatology
   • Active involvement in continuing professional development and quality assurance activities
   • Evidence of ongoing learning and professional engagement
4. Teaching and Mentorship
   • Demonstrated commitment to teaching and training of junior medical staff
   • Ability to supervise and support trainees and junior colleagues
   • Willingness to contribute to departmental educational activities
5. Research and Quality Improvement
   • Demonstrated commitment to or active involvement in research, audit, or quality improvement
   • Evidence of engagement with evidence-based practice
   • Willingness to contribute to departmental research and QI initiatives
6. Values and Safety Commitment
   • Understanding of and adherence to safety and quality standards
   • Demonstrated commitment to Work Health and Safety practices
   • Behaviour consistent with CHS Values: Reliable, Progressive, Respectful, and Kind
   • Commitment to patient-centred care and positive patient experience

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.