The North Canberra Hospital (NCH) Nutrition and Dietetics Department is a contemporary, evidence‑based service dedicated to delivering high‑quality nutritional care to inpatients across NCH and Clare Holland House. The service provides comprehensive nutritional assessment, intervention and ongoing support across a diverse caseload, including general and complex medical and surgical conditions, critical illness, stroke, mental health, aged care and palliative care.

Working as part of an integrated multidisciplinary team, the department is committed to excellence in patient care, professional collaboration, continual service improvement and building capability through education and research. Dietitians within the service are supported to maintain high clinical standards while contributing to innovation, quality initiatives, and person‑centred care across the hospital.

The HP3 Senior Dietitian is an advanced clinician who provides specialised nutritional assessment and intervention for patients with complex clinical presentations. This role delivers clinical leadership within the Nutrition and Dietetics Service, modelling high‑level clinical reasoning and evidence‑informed decision‑making to support safe, effective and high‑quality patient care.

Under the supervision of the Director of Nutrition, the HP3 clinician provides professional support to junior dietitians and holds primary responsibility for supervising student dietitians on placement. The position actively contributes to the learning culture of the team through mentoring, education and role modelling.

In addition to clinical responsibilities, the Senior Dietitian plays a key role in service development, leading quality improvement initiatives, contributing to research, and supporting strategic projects that enhance patient outcomes and strengthen the capability of both the Nutrition team and the broader multidisciplinary workforce.

Under limited direction of the Director of Nutrition, you will:

1. Provide advanced assessment and intervention across a broad range of clinical areas, applying contemporary evidence‑based principles and high‑level clinical reasoning.
2. Apply independent professional judgement to manage novel, complex, critical or high‑risk cases across a range of specialised areas, resolve escalated clinical issues, and provide guidance to others in decision‑making.
3. Lead and model effective collaboration within the Nutrition and Dietetics team and the wider multidisciplinary workforce.
4. Build, maintain, and influence effective relationships with consumers, carers, and key stakeholders to support coordinated, high‑quality service delivery.
5. Complete required clinical, non‑clinical and administrative tasks in accordance with organisational procedures and contribute to service‑level planning and reporting as needed.
6. Contribute to, and in some cases lead, education and training activities that build capability within the team or service.
7. Lead or significantly contribute to clinical governance activities, including the development of policies, procedures, quality improvement initiatives, research, and health promotion relevant to the service.
8. Engage in supervision, advanced continuing professional development and performance review, and provide professional supervision, mentoring, and training to staff and students.
9. Undertake other duties appropriate to this level of classification which contribute to the operation of the organisation.

• Person‑Centred Service Delivery.
• Collaborative, Interdisciplinary Teamwork.
• Integrity, Accountability & Safe Practice.
• Critical Thinking, Problem‑Solving & Innovation.
• Leadership (appropriate to level) & Positive Workplace Contribution.

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

Essential

• Tertiary qualification or related qualification in Nutrition and Dietetics.
• Member or eligible for membership of Dietitians Australia (DA), and eligible to hold the Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) credential.
• Hold a current driver’s licence.

Desirable

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

Specific requirements include but are not limited to the following.

Essential

• A minimum of 3 years’ experience working professionally in Nutrition and Dietetics.

Desirable

• Clinical dietetics experience in an acute hospital setting.
• Fulfil the responsibilities of this role in alignment to the CHS Exceptional Care Framework and all other related frameworks.

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.
• Current registration issued under the Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act 2011 is required.
• Comply with CHS credentialing and scope of clinical practice requirements for allied health professionals.

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.

These are the key selection criteria for how you will be assessed in conjunction with your resumé and experience.

1. Demonstrates competency in the delivery of a range of complex nutrition services through initiative and professional judgement, including the ability to assess, plan, implement and monitor the delivery of evidence-based nutritional care to clients of specialist clinical units.
2. Demonstrates ability to provide patient-centred care utilising a range of communication skills in complex situations including the ability to liaise with stakeholders.
3. Demonstrates ability to provide professional supervision and training to other staff and students and a commitment to continuing professional development.
4. Demonstrates ability to identify gaps in clinical and/or service delivery including evidence of initiating/participating in quality initiatives and/or research.
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.

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	Frequently
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	Never
Exposure to Distressing Situations e.g. Child abuse, viewing dead / mutilated bodies; verbal abuse; domestic violence; suicide	Occasionally

Physical demands	Frequency
Distance walking (large buildings or inter-building transit)	Frequently
Working outdoors	Never

Manual handling	Frequency
Lifting 0 - 9kg	Occasionally
Lifting 10 - 15kg	Never
Lifting 16kg+	Never
Climbing	Never
Running	Never
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	Occasionally

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

Specific hazards	Frequency
Working at heights	Never
Exposure to extreme temperatures	Occasionally
Operation of heavy machinery e.g. forklift	Never
Confined spaces	Occasionally
Excessive noise	Occasionally
Low lighting	Never
Handling of dangerous goods/equipment e.g. gases; liquids; biological.	Never
Slippery or uneven surfaces	Occasionally