The Palliative Care Service at Canberra Health Services is a consult liaison service operating during business hours and services patients with palliative needs throughout the wider hospital campus. The role of Palliative Care Nurse is a Registered Nurse Level 2 position. The position reports to the Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Consultant and is an integral member of the specialist team. The position is a critical reference point for patients and families with complex nursing, medical and psychosocial needs relating to their overall diagnosis, treatment or adjusting to a new palliative care diagnosis.

The role also provides support and education for staff across diverse professional background and as such is a highly experienced professional.

Working closely with other disciplines in all wards in Canberra Hospital, the role provides leadership in nursing care of patients and their families or carers along with direct care of complex patients. Services include facilitation of access to resources, responding to specialist palliative care needs and leadership in palliative care conversations.

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

Under limited direction of the Palliative and Cancer Supportive Care CNC, you will:

• Provide a patient and family centered approach to palliative care assessment of clients with life limiting illness and their significant others.
• Provide therapeutic discussion with treating specialty teams utilizing best practice principles.
• Provide advocacy for patients with life limiting illness who find it difficult to speak out.
• Attend weekly palliative care Multi-Disciplinary Meetings and contribute to active discussion around patient care.
• Assist with the education of patients and their carers/loved ones on issues arising from palliative care service provision whilst in hospital and proposed discharge plan.
• Maintain own education and that of generalist ward staff (in-service) on palliative care specific issues on request.
• Co-ordinate complex care for patients and their families and awareness of the resources and support available in ACT and surrounding area.
• Undertake other duties appropriate to this level of classification which contribute to the operation of the organization.

1. Well-developed interpersonal skills.
2. The ability to provide support to patients, families and the wider care team in highly emotional and complex situations
3. Excellent communication skills between stakeholders and team members
4. Capacity to manage competing priorities and services with a high degree of autonomy in a consult team within a tertiary hospital setting
5. Leadership and mentoring skills and the ability to provide support and education to the wider care team as part of routine care.

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

Essential

• Relevant Tertiary Nursing qualifications.
• Be registered or be eligible for registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

Desirable

• Post Graduate qualification in relevant field or working towards such qualification.
• 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.

Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to the following.

Essential

• Minimum 4 years’ experience working as a Registered Nurse in a hospital setting

Desirable

• Prior experience working with patients with life limiting illness and their families

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. Proven expertise and knowledge in the clinical care of patients with life limiting illnesses and their significant others.
2. Demonstrated high level communication and interpersonal skills including proven ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
3. Demonstrated ability to coordinate complex care for patients and their families and awareness of the resources and support available in ACT and surrounding area.
4. Demonstrated ability to provide education tailored to internal and external stakeholders including patients, their family’s and staff.
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	Choose an item.

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	Occasionally
Unpredictable People e.g. Dementia, mental illness, head injuries	Occasionally
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

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	Occasionally
Handling of dangerous goods/equipment e.g. gases; liquids; biological.	Never
Slippery or uneven surfaces	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	Frequently
Hand, arm and grasping movements	Frequently
Bending/squatting	Occasionally
Bend/Lean Forward from Waist/Trunk twisting	Never
Push/pull	Never
Sequential repetitive movements in a short amount of time	Frequently