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Acute care nursing factsheets
Remote Area Nursing
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Top End Remote Health, includes the old East Arnhem, Katherine and Darwin Rural Regions. Department of Health and Community Services (DHCS) runs 22 remote health centres with approximately 80 Remote Area Nurses, along with supporting the services and staffing of some non-government controlled health services. General and midwifery qualifications with experience in paediatrics and critical care are highly desirable.
RAN employment involves a challenging and often expanded clinical role, working in the absence of on-site medical officers. Client groups comprise mainly of Aboriginal people, pastoralists, mining and tourist populations.
Aboriginal health issues are among the most complex in Australia, characterised by high rates of chronic and acute illness, with cardiac, diabetes, renal and infant growth problems the most common.
RAN work involves:
- providing a 24 hour on-call emergency service
- implementing primary health care
- extensive driving over outback roads in four-wheel drive vehicles
- working in a cross cultural context
Remote Health Centres are supported and managed by DHCS district offices located in Katherine, Gove, Darwin, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs.
Top End Remote
Top End Remote encompasses Darwin, Katherine, East Arnhem and their surrounds. There are 22 Health Services available in the district and with the provision of other two other services. There are more than 80 nurses employed in this disctrict.
Darwin and surrounds covers an area of 142,000 square kilometres, from Wadeye, 500 km south west of Darwin across the top end of the Territory to Maningrida, 352 km by air east of Darwin. Aboriginal people comprise 75% of the 12,300 population. The area is subject to extensive tourist movement as it contains both Kakadu and Litchfield Parks. Visitors exceed 500,000 per year which places increased demands on health services.
Katherine and surrounds covers an area of 340,000 square kilometres between the Western Australia and Queensland borders from Dunmarra in the south to Pine Creek in the north.
East Arnhem is situated on the most eastern corner of the NT, on the Gulf of Carpentaria, extending over an area of approximatley 64,000 square kilometres. The DHCS district office is situated in Nhulunbuy in the hospital grounds. A Children's Health Clinic, private Medical Practitioner and a public and private Dental Practitioner are situated in the Health Centre building in the Town Square.
Central Australia Remote
Central Australia Remote encommpasses Alice Spring and surrounds as well as the Barkly region. There are 23 Health Centres and associated outstations, employing 51 nurses.
Alice Springs and surrounds covers two thirds of the NT, over 1 million square kilometres and extends into the bordering areas of South Australia and Western Australia. There is a community health centre in Alice Springs.
Barkly region includes a mobile service that provides services to remote communities and pastoral properties.
Mental Health nursing
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In Australia’s Northern Territory we have great opportunities for Mental Health Nurses and Registered Nurses. If you have a strong desire to gain extensive, diverse clinical experience whilst enjoying a unique lifestyle and enhancing your professional skills and knowledge, then the Northern Territory is the place to be.
Whether you want to work in a hospital or in the community, there’s a place for you in Australia's Northern Territory, either in the Top End or in Central Australia.
Top End Mental Health Service (TEMHS) is a sophisticated mental health service of national standard, actively pursuing best practice in all areas. It has a dedicated purpose-built inpatient facility located on the Royal Darwin Hospital campus, and community based services located in Darwin, Katherine and Gove (Nhulunbuy).
The service provides a comprehensive range of clinical services to the population – approximately 153,000 - of the Top End of the Northern Territory, of which 30% are Indigenous. There are currently 150 other recognised ethnic groups within the Northern Territory. Within the TEMHS it is possible to work within inpatient, community, remote and forensic mental health teams.
Central Australia Mental Health Service (CAMHS) services the heart of Australia comprising an area of some 870,000 square kilometres. It comprises a multidisciplinary team that provide inpatient, community, remote and forensic mental health services to diverse communities in collaboration with non-government organisations. It has a clearly articulated model of service delivery that seeks to enhance outcomes for clients and professional growth for staff. The clinical problems addressed are varied resulting in a stimulating and rich work context.
Midwifery
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Job Description Provide safe, high quality midwifery care appropriate to the specifi c needs of mothers, babies and families and guide the practice of less experienced staff.
1. Use the Australian College of Midwives Clinical Standards as a framework to provide optimal nursing care.
2. Enhance the professional development of self and others using research and evidencebased practice including a range of excellent professional development opportunities supported by the Department.
3. Contribute to the maintenance of an environment that promotes safety, security and personal dignity of individual patients, families and groups.
4. Provide Midwifery care that is culturally safe.
5. Adhere to the Northern Territory Department of Health and Community Services policies, procedures, protocols and functions within legislation governing Midwifery practice.
6. Act as an effective member of a multidisciplinary team and deal with complex issues in collaboration with team members.
7. Actively contribute to unit activities and take on the role of team leader.
8. Promote customer-focused service and participate in continuous quality improvement and clinical development.
Midwifery includes the Hospital based care, Community Midwifery Program, Maternal and Child Community Health Nurse and Remote Area Nurse/Midwife. Read more in our factsheet.
Urban
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If you have a strong desire to gain extensive, diverse clinical experience whilst enjoying a unique lifestyle, then Urban Community Nursing in the Northern Territory is for you!
Community Nurses:
1. Provide safe and high quality Nursing care appropriate to the specific needs of clients in the urban community setting and guide the practice of less experienced staff.
2. Provide a comprehensive approach to client assessment and care planning, incorporating Primary Health Care Principles within a multi-disciplinary team.
3. Use information resources such as computer systems, statistics and other records required for the efficient management of clients.
4. Participate in the Continuous Quality Improvement Program to facilitate evidence based, safe and effective health care.
5. Act as a clinical resource to support, mentor and develop other clinical staff and students.
6. Participate in the development, implementation and review of the Centre business plan.
7. Deputise in senior positions when required to maintain consistency in service provision.
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