• Nurses Award Wage, open to negotiations with Management

• Work minimum 22.5 Hours/wk 

• 1.5 to 2 years contract minimum (Permanent Part-time Placement)

Practice Information
This medical centre is a private medical practice owned by the local indigenous community organisation that also runs a housing co-operative and many health, family support and employment projects. The centre will run as a mixed fee for service and bulk billing practice with a focus on preventative health care and management of chronic illness. It has been operating from July 2010 and is open to the whole community. The centre provides a general practice medical centre with Health checks and child and maternal health, immunizations for the Bowen community. 

The Centre has 2 consulting rooms, a procedure room, tea room and 2 areas for visiting allied health specialists on the main street on Bowen. On staff are a 1 General Practitioner (Locum), Enrolled Nurse, 2 x Indigenous Health Workers, Practice Manager and a Receptionist. The centre is situated in a duplex setting with a private dental practice as a neighbour.

The successful applicants will be seeing some Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander clients, utilising the Close the Gap Initiative for Indigenous Health including the Practice Incentive Program (PIP) and PBS Co-Payment Scheme. We would like our staff to be community minded and support the community not for profit sector. We would also like staff to possess a healthy appreciation of and commit to utilise chronic disease prevention and management community health programs on offer in community.

• We use Medical Director and Pracsoft 4.0a at our practice. We would prefer that the nurse to be familiar with this computer software, but not essential.

• We are not an AMS, but we do focus on Indigenous Health.

• We conduct ATSI Health Check, Health Checks, Care Plans, Vaccinations, Pre-employment Medicals, ECG’s, Spirometry’s and general follow up care.

Clinic Hours:
Mon, Tues & Wed between 8.30am and 5pm (Lunch 12:30 – 1:30pm)
Thurs & Friday 7:00am – 3:00pm (Lunch 11:15am – 12:15pm)

About Bowen, 
Bowen is a seaside country town with 7 beaches, great outdoors lifestyle and is situated at the top of the Whitsundays, just 45 mins from Airlie Beach and Proserpine. We are located 2 hours from Townsville to the north and Mackay to the South. It has sailing, snorkeling/diving and fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, a nine-hole golf course along the beachfront, as well as many recreational activities available in the community such as cycling, bush walking, fossicking, arts and crafts and most sports. Bowen is a very friendly town, with aspirations to become the festival capital of Australia and you will easily settle into the community. The lifestyle is very low stress and laid back.

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Position Description
1. Purpose of the Position:

This position is responsible for contributing to improved community health outcomes through the provision of best practice and quality patient care in accordance with recognized AGPAL quality standards. 

2. ​​​​​​​Operational and clinical Management Environment:

This position is located within the  general practice. The practice strives to provide high quality, and primary health care service to the Bowen Community. The model of care is focused on primary health care which can be defined as follows: Primary Health Care seeks to extend the first level of the health system from sick care to the development of health. It seeks to protect and promote the health and address individual and population health problems at an early stage. Health care involves continuity of care, health promotion and education, integration of prevention with sick care, a concern for population as well as individual health, community involvement and the use of appropriate technology (Australian Health Ministers’ council 1988: commonwealth Department of Health and family Services 1988)"

3. Reporting Relationships and Accountabilities:

This position reports to the Practice Manager and is accountable to:

• The Governing committee

• Clinic staff for ensuring a safe, fair, supportive and professional workplace. This position supervises clinical staff in relation to the provision of clinical care. Refer to the organizational chart for details.

4. Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide comprehensive, safe and effective evidence based nursing care in accordance with legislation, standards, nursing profession’s codes of ethics and conduct, and common law to achieve individual and community health outcomes.

• Implement effective and efficient systems to support the management of the health service including: immunization, maintaining and calibrating equipment (dg. Doctor’s bag and emergency trolley) and supplies (eg. Immunisation, pathology and pharmaceuticals); and ensuring the professional handling of medical correspondence such as referral letters, pathology, and recalls.

• Collaborate with other members of the General practice team to deliver a high standard of coordinated patient care within a primary health care context that acknowledges the dignity, culture, values, beliefs and rights of patients/groups.

• Manage relevant accreditation processes of the practice, such as RACGP ensuring the practice complies with all relevant clinical standards and policies and regulations and work with the Practice Manager to implement quality improvement processes to improve patient care outcomes.

• Effectively manage the nursing care of patients/groups according to the documented care or treatment plans where appropriate and provide information on all relevant health issues to patients, other professionals.

• Provide leadership and supervision to Assistant Nurses, Health Workers, and students recognizing the differences in accountability and responsibility between these positions.

• Participate in professional development to enhance nursing practice and contribute to the professional development of others within the health service.

• Prepare an annual Individual Work Plan and produce regular performance reports in accordance with the General Practices’ performance management and reporting policies.

• Perform other duties associated with the position as directed by the Practice Manager. Person specifications

5. After Hours: No

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Qualifications and Experience

1. Qualifications:

• Registration with the Queensland Nursing council and possession of a current practising certificate.

• Successfully completed a Bachelor of Nursing or a Degree in Health Science or its equivalent of working towards same.

• Nurse immunizer registration (or willingness to undertake training).

• Certificate in Pathology collection

• Current First Aid or CPR Certificate or equivalent.

2. Skills, Knowledge and Ability:

• Knowledge and understanding of current accepted health practices, including AGPAL standards, the principles of primary healthcare and of quality improvement processes.

• A knowledge and understand of Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander societies and cultures and an understanding of the health issues affecting Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people.

• Ability to function in a multi-disciplinary team and ability to function independently.

• Knowledge and skills in contemporary Human Resource management practices including Workplace Health and Safety, Equal Employment Opportunity and anti Discrimination.

• Knowledge of Prac Soft and Medical Director Software.

3. Standards of Practice:

• Maintain professional standards of practice.

• Practise within an evidence – based framework.

• Participate in ongoing professional development of self and others.

4. Additional Factors:

• Membership of appropriate professional bodies

• Possession of a current ‘C’ Class Drivers Licence (Qld).

• Blue Card or ability to obtain a Working with Children Check.

• Current First Aid and CPR Certificate.

• Hepatitis B immunization is a condition of employment for clinical workers who have direct patient contact and in the course of their work may be exposed to blood or body fluids.

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Selection Criteria

1. Experience working with Aboriginal and/ or Torres Strait Islander communities and demonstrated knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and their health needs.

2. Demonstrated experience in working within a primary health care context and an understanding of how the underlying principles of primary health care apply to the role.

3. Proven ability to coordinate, organize and provide high quality nursing care in a primary health context that includes the assessment of patients / groups, planning implementation and evaluation of care.

4. Demonstrated understanding of relevant professional, legal and ethical responsibilities including accountability for practice, functioning in accordance with legislation affecting nursing an health care, and the protection of patient and group rights

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For more information on this position, please contact our team via hws@healthworkforce.com.au.

Please apply via the 'Apply Now' button on this page.

Following successful placement, eligible candidates may be entitled to receive support and financial assistance through Health Workforce Queensland's comprehensive workforce attraction and retention incentives. This position may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary for ongoing professional development.

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