Position Overview

The North Canberra Hospital (NCH) is seeking a Non-Interventionist Staff Specialist to join the current Cardiology Department. The Staff Specialist is responsible for providing clinical care and leadership within the Cardiology Department of North Canberra Hospital and will be guided by current evidence based medical practice, to deliver quality and safe patient centred care. The Cardiology Department is considered within a matrix management model with accountability through both the clinical streams model and the professional accountability reporting lines.

The position holder is expected to operate within the Public Sector Management Act (1994), the ACT Public Service Code of Conduct and the professional requirements specified by the appointee’s Specialist College.

Key responsibilities

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following under limited direction of the Clinical Director, you will:

1. Manage inpatients and outpatients referred to the cardiology service including timely triaging, consultation, diagnosis, reporting and treatment of  and in doing so, promote a commitment to high quality, customer service principles, practices and attributes.
2. Contribute to the on-call requirements in cardiology and provide support for acute inpatients.
3. Initiate and manage clinical governance systems within the cardiology department by practicing evidence-based medicine, participating in clinical audit and morbidity and mortality review and contributing to the review and maintenance of policies and guidelines.
4. Contributing to direct cardiology inpatient care, patient consultation requests from other units and timely ward rounds to ensure patient management is safe, optimal and expedited.
5. Assist the Clinical Director to ensure appropriate clinical governance mechanisms are in place for the Department.
6. Actively engage in quality and safety activities, service redesign, and model of care development (including sub-speciality services) for the Department and the Division.
7. Contribute to the education and training of students attending ANU Medical School, junior medical staff, postgraduate trainees and other members of the clinical team during the provision of clinical care and contribute to research in areas of medical interest related to the clinical practice or science of Paediatrics and Paediatric Endocrinology.
8. Promote a collaborative approach to care that enables all members of the clinical team to feel respected and valued and optimises patient care and treatment outcomes.
9. Undertake other duties appropriate to this level of classification which contribute to the operation of the organisation.

About you

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: In addition to meeting the core competencies for medicine to be recognised as a Fellow of the  Royal Australian College of Physicians (RACP), the preferred candidate will have:

• Adaptability and flexibility to accommodate change and provide responsive services to meet patients’ needs;
• Displays critical thinking skills and forms sound conclusions based on evidence and sound judgement;
• Effective communication skills and the ability to develop and maintain networks across Canberra Health Services and with external parties.
• Ability to work within multi-disciplinary and management teams and adapt quickly to a changing environment.
• Experience in the practice of Cardiology – non interventional.
• Strong organisational skills with a high degree of drive.
• Good understanding of the principles of quality and safety to deliver exceptional care.

Position Requirements / Qualifications

Mandatory

• Be registered or eligible for registration as a medical practitioner with the Australian Health Practitioner’s Regulation Agency, with no conditions, undertakings or reprimands (AHPRA).
• a Fellow of the  Royal Australian College of Physicians (RACP) or an equivalent higher specialist qualification.
• Not be the subject of an unresolved scope of clinical practice review of by Medical Dental Appointments Advisory Committee or a current inquiry by AHPRA.
• The successful applicant will need to be available for rostered after hours and on call 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.

Desirable

• Have completed at least 12 months of advanced training in Cardiology and be recognised as a specialist by Services Australia to claim MBS items.
• 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 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.
• Comply with Canberra Health Services Credentialing and scope of clinical practice requirements for medical professionals.

What you Require (Key Selection Criteria)

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

1. Demonstrate relevant clinical experience in adult cardiology with appropriate skills in non-invasive.
2. Interest in heart failure, cardiac imaging and electrophysiology is an advantage.
3. Work within a team structure and participate in a week on call roster system, with daily review of ne investigations.
4. Demonstrated high level of communication and interpersonal skills, including an ability to provide mentorship, work as a team member in a multidisciplinary environment, and liaise within the health system and with external agencies.
5. Demonstrated experience in service development and research, with the skills to plan, conduct and supervise medical research.
6. Demonstrated strong commitment to the importance and provision of quality assurance activities, research and teaching of staff at all levels, including medical, nursing, scientific and allied health professional staff, both postgraduate and undergraduate.
7. Demonstrated knowledge of current developments and practices in the field of cardiology, with the ability to apply these to clinical care, research, training, professional development, policy review and quality improvement activities, to develop and embed evidence based best practice in a new Service.
8. Demonstrates understanding of, and adherence to, safety and quality standards, Work Health and Safety 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.