The Department of Neonatology is the only tertiary level 6 neonatal unit in the ACT and surrounding NSW. It includes the NICU, Special Care Nursery (SCN), NETS ACT retrieval service, Newborn and Parent Support Service, and NICU Growth and Development Clinic. NICU and SCN have 36 funded beds with the growth capacity. There are approximately 3,500 births per year in hospital and 700 neonatal admissions to the unit. The facility offers individualised family centred care in a developmentally appropriate and technologically state-of-the-art environment.

As a Registered Nurse Level 2, you will be expected to provide excellent, high level nursing care to babies admitted to the NICU. You will be able to look after critically ill patients, using multiple modalities to support care. As a Registered Nurse, Level 2 will support and mentor novice staff and encourage teamwork. You will be required to be team leader for the nursing staff, being able to think quickly and plan in high acuity situations, working within the multidisciplinary team.

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

• Provide advanced nursing care consistently and competently for patients of varying complexity in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, including whilst working within the boundaries of professional legislation and existing policies and procedures.
• Act as Team Leader within NICU, demonstrating the ability and commitment to working within a multidisciplinary team, effectively communicating effectively and fostering a culture of open communication, collaboration and feedback within a dynamic environment.
• Provide clinical leadership, critical analysis and problem-solving skills, to facilitate effective patient care and evaluate outcomes of own practice, such as planning for admissions in high acuity situations.
• Actively participate in the education and support of other NICU team members, including facilitating clinical teaching, preceptorship of new and novice staff and mentoring area specific skills development activities.
• Support safe and evidence-based practice within neonatology through:
  • Promotion of evidence-based practice
  • Contribution to research and/or promotion of the utilisation of research
  • Regular contribution to the development and review of policy
  • Quality improvement initiatives
• Support cultural and organisational change creating a culture of participation in the department and work in partnership with families.
• 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.

• Hold an advanced level of nursing knowledge and skills related to the NICU environment compared to an RN Level 1.
• Responsible for a neonatal nursing care and of high acuity NICU patients and is able to function in more complex situations while providing support and direction to others
• Demonstrate the following skills and knowledge within the high acuity NICU environment:
  • advanced clinical and problem-solving skills
  • expert planning and coordination skills in the clinical management
  • knowledge of contemporary nursing practice and theory.
• Assume Team Leader responsibilities in NICU including shift coordination, patient flow, staffing needs, change management and supporting workplace culture.
• Work collaboratively with peers and others to create a positive environment that achieves best outcomes, including leading implementation of policy, practice changes and clinical innovations.
• Participate in developing, evaluating, and updating clinical service procedures, protocols, standards, and guidelines.
• Engage in incident reporting and initial investigation, and conduct quality improvements audits develop risk minimisation strategies/activities to promote safe, and/or rectify unsafe, practice.
• Provide support, guidance, mentoring, preceptorship, role modelling and promote cooperation and collaborative teamwork within the multidisciplinary NICU environment.

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

Essential

• Be registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
• Completion (or working towards) post graduate qualifications in neonatal intensive care nursing.

Desirable

• 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

• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Strong organisational skills with a high degree of drive.
• Adaptability and flexibility to accommodate change and provide responsive services to meet clients’ needs.
• High level interpersonal, negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
• Registered Nurse, with a minimum period of 4 years post registration or 2 years post relevant post graduate study

Desirable

• Experience or knowledge of the CHS Exceptional Care Framework, and all other related frameworks.

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.
• 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 competency in providing advanced neonatal nursing care to babies of varying complexities, including managing a critically ill ventilated neonatal patient, in high-pressure environments.
2. Demonstrated strong leadership and communication skills with the ability to work both independently and as a member of a team.
3. Demonstrated ability to support education in the clinical area, and a proven commitment to ongoing professional development.
4. Demonstrated participation in quality improvement activities, the development of evidence-based policy and a commitment to departmental research to improve patient outcomes.
5. Demonstrates understanding of, and adherence to, safety and quality standards, work, health and safety (WH&S) and the positive patient experience. Displays behavior 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	Occasionally
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	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

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