Special Care Nursery at North Canberra Hospital (NCH) is a level 3 unit in the ACT and supports surrounding NSW and the ACT Neonatal Network. SCN has 12 funded beds with approximately 1700 births per year and approximately 550 neonatal admissions to the Unit. The facility offers individualised family-centred care in a developmentally appropriate and technologically state-of-the-art environment.

Reporting to the Assistant Director of Midwifery the Clinical Nurse Consultant will provide nursing leadership and support to staff of the Special Care Nursery to achieve excellence in clinical practice, working collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team and consumers.

1. Provide leadership in and promote a commitment to high quality, safe effective patient centred care in collaboration with the nursing and midwifery leadership team, to facilitate change management initiatives in achieving the strategic objectives of the Division of WC.
2. Work cooperatively and in partnership with the Neonatal Network and Clinical Care Coordinators to facilitate effective patient flow.
3. Be directly accountable and responsible for the management of staff rostering, leave management, recruitment, and human resourcing issues including salary and position reports within a clinical area to support appropriate staffing level and skill-mix.
4. Be accountable for effective clinical governance, risk management and the implementation of continuous improvement to create a safe environment that provides high quality, patient centred care.
5. Support and implement workforce strategy, including active involvement of recruitment and retention of staff; oversight of staff training, support and professional development opportunities through ongoing performance planning; and addressing performance management concerns.
6. In collaboration with the nursing and midwifery leadership team, develop, implement and evaluate nursing and midwifery policies, guidelines and standards to build an environment of excellence in nursing care and to support a culture of continuous development and leadership in quality improvement activities and initiatives.
7. Collaborate, initiate and participate in the development of quality improvement, policy and strategic service plans and research activities.
8. Undertake other duties appropriate to this level of classification which contribute to the operation of the organisation.

• Proven advanced management experience and clinical leadership in a similar nursing role.
• Adaptability and flexibility to accommodate change and provide responsive services to meet patient and staff needs.
• Strong organisational skills with a high degree of drive with the ability to effectively prioritise work and meet deadlines.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Work collaboratively with the Nursing Leadership team and neonatologists to create a positive practice environment by leading implementation of policy, practice changes and clinical innovation.
• Contribute to the organisational key objectives and performance indicators.
• Accountable for the delivery of safe clinical practice and professional advice.
• Strong leadership skills, including capacity to build cohesive high performing teams.
• An ability to work respectfully in partnership with a range of stakeholders including consumers.
• Resilience and adaptability in a dynamic health environment.

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

Essential

• Tertiary Qualification or related qualification in Nursing
• Registered or eligible for registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
• Have an understanding of how the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) indicators align with this role.

Desirable

• Postgraduate Qualification in Neonatal Care
• Post Graduate qualifications in Management and/or Leadership or working towards

Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to the following.

Essential

• A minimum of a five years’ full-time equivalent post registration working in a neonatal unit (NICU or SCN).

Desirable

• Prior experience in a leadership position managing differing priorities.
• Fulfil the responsibilities of this role in.
• Fulfil the responsibilities of this role in alignment to the CHS Exceptional Care Framework and all other related frameworks.

• Pre-employment National Police Check.
• Comply with Canberra Health Services Occupational Assessment, Screening and Vaccination policy.

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.

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

1. Proven achievement in the effective leadership and management of contemporary nursing services for patients and their families with a proven ability to support clinical service improvements.
2. Demonstrated knowledge, experience and commitment in achieving quality outcomes through quality improvement, risk management and research activities.
3. Demonstrated ability to consult, collaborate and negotiate, with internal and external key stakeholders, service organisations, consumers and colleagues, within the multidisciplinary team environment to cultivate productive working relationships and to support best health outcomes
4. Demonstrated experience and achievement in financial and human resource management in the delivery of an efficient and effective service that meets agreed targets.
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	Occasionally
Sitting at a desk	Frequently
Standing for long periods	Occasionally

Psychosocial demands	Frequency
Distressed People e.g. Emergency or grief situations	Occasionally
Aggressive & Uncooperative People e.g. drug / alcohol, dementia, mental illness	Occasionally
Unpredictable People e.g. Dementia, mental illness, head injuries	Occasionally
Restraining e.g. involvement in physical containment of clients/consumers	Occasionally
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)	Occasionally
Working outdoors	Never

Manual handling	Frequency
Lifting 0 - 9kg	Occasionally
Lifting 10 - 15kg	Never
Lifting 16kg+	Never
Climbing	Never
Running	Never
Reaching	Never
Kneeling	Never
Foot and leg movement	Never
Hand, arm and grasping movements	Never
Bending/squatting	Never
Bend/Lean Forward from Waist/Trunk twisting	Never
Push/pull	Never
Sequential repetitive movements in a short amount of time	Never

Travel	Frequency
Frequent travel – multiple work sites	Occasionally
Frequent travel – driving	Never

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