Mental Health, Justice Health and Alcohol & Drug Services (MHJHADS) provide health services directly and through partnerships with community organisations. The services provided range from prevention and treatment to recovery, maintenance and harm minimisation. Consumer and carer participation is encouraged in all aspects of service planning and delivery. The Division works in partnership with consumers, carers and a range of government and non-government service providers to ensure the best possible outcomes for clients.

The Division delivers services at a number of locations, including hospital inpatient and outpatient settings, community health centres, detention centres, other community settings including peoples’ homes.

These services include:

* Adult Community & Older Persons Mental Health Services

* Adult Inpatient Mental Health Services

* Alcohol & Drug Services

* Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services

* Justice Health Services

Adult Inpatient Mental Health Services is across both The Canberra Hospital (TCH) and North Canberra Hospital (NCH) sites, and includes services such as Adult Mental Health Unit, Ward 12B Mental Health Unit, Mental Health Short Stay Unit, Mental Health Clinical Liaison TCH and NCH, Acacia Mental Health Unit (Acacia) for Acute Adults and Banksia Mental Health Unit (Banksia) for Older Persons.

The Registered Nurse provides advanced clinical care and leadership within the Acacia and Banksia at NCH. This role supports the delivery of high-quality, recovery-focused care in collaboration with the multidisciplinary team, including psychiatry, allied health, and nursing staff. The Registered Nurse is responsible for leading nursing teams across all clinical areas, responding effectively to rapidly changing situations, and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of both patients and staff.

The Registered Nurse contributes to the daily operations of the unit by supporting clinical decision-making, mentoring less experienced staff, and participating in the orientation and education of students and new team members. The role includes active involvement in quality improvement initiatives, workplace health and safety compliance, and the promotion of a positive and inclusive team culture. The Registered Nurse is accountable for their own professional standards and practice, and plays a key role in fostering a safe, therapeutic, and person-centred environment.

At this level it is expected that you will provide, under limited supervision, high quality clinical nursing, skills and care to achieve sound outcomes for people with mental illness. It is also an expectation that you will contribute your expertise to the multidisciplinary team, provide supervision to staff at the RN1 level and support the Assistant Director of Nursing, Clinical Nurse Consultants.

In this role you will be required to undertake professional development, supervision, participate in quality initiatives and contribute to the multidisciplinary team processes.

1. Provide leadership in the provision of high-level person-centred care to people with complex mental health needs consistent with the National Mental Health Standards and Mental Health Nursing Standards.
2. Provide clinical nursing expertise and apply specific skills in support of the multidisciplinary team process and liaise with multidisciplinary community teams, General Practitioners, carers, and other agencies.
3. Actively apply recovery-based intervention principles.
4. Undertake as an active team member the monitoring and evaluation of initiatives to improve the quality of care provided to consumers, and ensure support and supervision are provided to student nurses and student enrolled nurses.
5. Undertake clinical supervision and professional development activities and participate in clinical governance systems and processes through quality activities, care evaluation, outcomes measurement and membership of committees and working parties.
6. Work within the requirements of the Mental Health Act 2015 and other relevant legislation.
7. Provide clinical nursing leadership and be responsible for staff and consumers when in charge of a shift.
8. Undertake other duties appropriate to this level of classification which contribute to the operation of the organisation.

Behavioural Capabilities

1. Works collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team environment, contributing to a healthy workplace that embraces diversity and complies with relevant legislation and standards.
2. Demonstrates adaptability and flexibility in responding to change and meeting the needs of consumers and staff.
3. Shows initiative and strong organisational skills, effectively prioritising tasks and meeting deadlines.
4. Communicates effectively, using clear and professional verbal and written communication with consumers, carers, and team members.

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

Essential

• Be registered or be eligible for registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
• Tertiary Qualification or related qualification in Nursing.

Desirable

• Current driver’s licence.

Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to the following.

Essential

• Four (4) years (6840 hours) of post graduate hours of practice worked in direct or indirect roles (inclusive of 7 weeks annual leave per year)
  • Or
• Completion of a relevant post graduate certificate (or working towards) and three (3) years (5130 hours) worked in direct or indirect roles
  • Or
• Minimum of 2 yrs (1978 hours) RN experience if in possession of 2 or more years of prior EN experience within area of specialty

Desirable

• 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. Behaviours consistent with CHS’s values of reliable, progressive, respectful, and kind.
2. Proven competency and commitment in the provision of evidence-informed mental health care to people during the acute phase of their illness; and to actively encourage them to participate in their care using a recovery-oriented approach in line with National Standards for Mental Health Services, national mental health priorities and contemporary models for mental health service delivery.
3. Proven leadership skills with the ability to delegate, develop and provide direction for staff whilst working within professional legislation.
4. Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and appropriately (orally, non-verbally and in writing), in a diverse range of situations including negotiation and consultation using consistent and transparent processes and working within a multidisciplinary team both internal and external to the service.
5. Demonstrated knowledge of contemporary trends and issues related to mental health practice with proven evidence of commitment to clinical supervision, professional development, and active participation to quality improvement and education that promote evidence-based mental health practice and improved health outcomes.
6. Demonstrates understanding of, and adherence to, safety and quality standards, Work Health and Safety and the positive patient experience. Displays’.

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	Frequently

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	Occasionally
Exposure to Distressing Situations e.g. Child abuse, viewing dead / mutilated bodies; verbal abuse; domestic violence; suicide	Frequently

Physical demands	Frequency
Distance walking (large buildings or inter-building transit)	Frequently
Working outdoors	Occasionally

Manual handling	Frequency
Lifting 0 - 9kg	Frequently
Lifting 10 - 15kg	Occasionally
Lifting 16kg+	Occasionally
Climbing	Never
Running	Never
Reaching	Occasionally
Kneeling	Occasionally
Foot and leg movement	Occasionally
Hand, arm and grasping movements	Occasionally
Bending/squatting	Frequently
Bend/Lean Forward from Waist/Trunk twisting	Frequently
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	Never
Operation of heavy machinery e.g. forklift	Never
Confined spaces	Occasionally
Excessive noise	Occasionally
Low lighting	Occasionally
Handling of dangerous goods/equipment e.g. gases; liquids; biological.	Occasionally
Slippery or uneven surfaces	Occasionally