Ward 8B is a busy 12-bed renal ward offering inpatient care to patients admitted with renal dysfunction and associated complications. The ward has capacity to open to 28 beds in times of organisational need and accepts patients from many other specialties within CHS to include cardiology, neurology, respiratory and general medical patients.

The Clinical Nurse Consultant (CNC) for Ward 8B is responsible for providing operational leadership and management within the clinical environment, including oversight of nursing workloads, staff rostering, and fiscal requirements. The CNC works collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team, the Renal Network, Operations Unit, and the Division of Medicine to ensure a safe and coordinated patient journey through the ward, supporting timely discharge and appropriate placement within a suitable Dialysis Unit across the Network.

Applicants must demonstrate a high level of management capability, communication skills, leadership, and clinical expertise to effectively coordinate ward‑based practices and ensure the efficient and high‑quality delivery of patient care. This is achieved through the application of best‑practice principles within a collaborative, multidisciplinary framework.

This is a full‑time, Monday‑to‑Friday position worked during business hours.

Under limited direction of the Assistant Director of Nursing you will perform the day-to-day operational management of services within the unit including management of nursing workloads / models of care and patient flow both internal and external to the unit. The CNC will provide expert clinical leadership and management within a multidisciplinary framework, embed, and maintain the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards at a unit level as well as develop and maintain collaborative partnerships with internal and external stakeholders to facilitate timely and appropriate patient flow.

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

1. Provide operational leadership and daily management of the acute renal ward ensuring safe, person‑centred, high‑quality care within the approved clinical scope.
2. Manage the flexible allocation of human, financial, and material resources to achieve agreed service levels, monitor performance, and report variances against targets.
3. Lead and oversee clinical governance, standards of care, and service planning, including supporting accreditation and ensuring alignment with the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (NSQHSS).
4. Work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team to implement change management initiatives that support the strategic objectives of the Renal Service and Canberra Health Services.
5. Provide leadership, mentorship, and performance management for nursing staff, fostering a culture of professional development, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
6. Develop, implement, and review clinical guidelines, procedures, and policies to ensure evidence‑based practice aligned with CHS strategic goals and NSQHSS requirements.
7. Monitor and analyse key performance indicators, activity data, and quality metrics, preparing reports, advising senior nursing leadership, and implementing management plans to address emerging issues
8. Undertake other duties appropriate to this level of classification which contribute to the operation of the organisation.

Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to the following.

• Exceptional interpersonal, leadership and communication skills and ability to actively encourage a positive team culture.
• Ability to support professional development and clinical supervision of staff.
• Adaptability and flexibility to accommodate change and provide responsive services to meet patients’ needs
• Highly organised and self-motivated.
• Strong ability to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team, with a high level of verbal and written communication skills.

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

Essential

• Tertiary qualification in nursing
• Registered or eligible for registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

Desirable

• Post graduate qualification in the field of renal nursing.
• Have an understanding of how the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) indicators align with this role.

Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to the following.

Essential

• A minimum 5 years’ full time equivalent experience in acute clinical practice, incorporating specialised renal nursing care.
• Experience or knowledge of the CHS Exceptional Care Framework, Clinical Governance Framework, and all other related frameworks.

Desirable

• Prior experience in health care management, leadership or similar will be highly desirable.
• Prior experience in producing nursing rosters would be highly desirable.

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.

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. Demonstrated ability to lead and manage a multidisciplinary workforce to achieve high‑quality nursing care, applying the nursing process and risk‑assessment principles while working within professional legislation, policies, and procedures.
2. Demonstrated ability to effectively manage human, financial, and material resources to support efficient, high‑quality service delivery and the achievement of agreed targets.
3. Demonstrated ability to consult, collaborate and negotiate, with internal and external key stakeholders and service organisation, consumers and colleagues, within the multidisciplinary team environment to cultivate productive working relationships and to support best health outcomes for patients.
4. Demonstrated ability to drive innovation, quality improvement, policy development, and change management while leading clinical governance systems and mentoring staff to achieve best practice in line with NSQHSS standards.
5. 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.

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	Frequently

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

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

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	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

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