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Canberra Intensive Care Unit

Passionate Team. Balanced Lifestyle.

Our team combine the professional development benefits of working at a nationally leading ICT unit, with an unparalleled lifestyle in one of Australia’s most dynamically evolving cities.

Culture

A Career At Canberra ICU

The Canberra ICU team enjoy a clearly defined career path with access to world-class research, education, training and equipment.


We offer a family friendly and flexible working environment that embraces a multidisciplinary approach to healthcare. Our nursing, medical, allied health and support staff work collegiately and respectfully to drive exceptional patient outcomes.Our team are diverse but all share our core values which are the foundation of our ICU.

Our team are diverse but all share our core values which are the foundation of our ICU

Excellence

We set our bar high. Ability and hardwork go hand in hand.

Care

We deliver uncompromising care for our patients, from advice to treatment.

Integrity

We're honest with our patients and consistent in protocol and standards.

Our Core Teams

Our nurses work within our multi-disciplinary model, providing patient care alongside medical, allied health and other support staff. We expect – and offer – a commitment to continued professional development, with 1:1 bedside teaching, specialised study days, self-directed learning packages and competency-based assessments.

Canberra ICU recognises prior learning with an established program of integration and employ a graded leadership model to allow development of leadership as well as clinical skills.

Many of our nurses hold postgraduate qualifications in critical care nursing, including masters level degrees, whilst our affiliation with several nursing universities mean our nursing students work closely alongside our experienced clinicians.

The Intensive Care Unit is accredited for general training in intensive care medicine with the College of Intensive Care Medicine of Australia and New Zealand. The unit meets College requirements for training in Neurosurgery, Cardiothoracics and Trauma.The unit is affiliated with the Australian National University at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

We actively facilitate rotations through anaesthetics and internal medicine. We have a group of highly invested Supervisors of Training (SOTs) and college examiners on staff. We also have established links with the Capital Region Retrieval Service, and rural placements in surrounding NSW communities.

We have the capacity to support your career from entry level via the Critical Care SRMO rotation to our dedicated Postgraduate Fellowship Program on your journey to becoming an Intensive Care Specialist.

We provide physiotherapy services to the ICU 24/7, led by dedicated ICU physiotherapists. We focus on early mobilisation, rehabilitation and recovery, even while high level organ system support is being provided.

We are committed to research and teaching and offer an ICU observership program for physiotherapists interested in an ongoing career in ICU. Our work includes inspiratory muscle training, strategic weaning, extubation readiness assessment, ventilator hyperinflation, non-invasive ventilation in physiotherapy, multidisciplinary rehabilitation planning and competency with ICU-related outcome measures.

  • Nursing

    Our nurses work within our multi-disciplinary model, providing patient care alongside medical, allied health and other support staff. We expect – and offer – a commitment to continued professional development, with 1:1 bedside teaching, specialised study days, self-directed learning packages and competency-based assessments.

    Canberra ICU recognises prior learning with an established program of integration and employ a graded leadership model to allow development of leadership as well as clinical skills.

    Many of our nurses hold postgraduate qualifications in critical care nursing, including masters level degrees, whilst our affiliation with several nursing universities mean our nursing students work closely alongside our experienced clinicians.

  • Medical

    The Intensive Care Unit is accredited for general training in intensive care medicine with the College of Intensive Care Medicine of Australia and New Zealand. The unit meets College requirements for training in Neurosurgery, Cardiothoracics and Trauma.The unit is affiliated with the Australian National University at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

    We actively facilitate rotations through anaesthetics and internal medicine. We have a group of highly invested Supervisors of Training (SOTs) and college examiners on staff. We also have established links with the Capital Region Retrieval Service, and rural placements in surrounding NSW communities.

    We have the capacity to support your career from entry level via the Critical Care SRMO rotation to our dedicated Postgraduate Fellowship Program on your journey to becoming an Intensive Care Specialist.

  • Physiotherapy

    We provide physiotherapy services to the ICU 24/7, led by dedicated ICU physiotherapists. We focus on early mobilisation, rehabilitation and recovery, even while high level organ system support is being provided.

    We are committed to research and teaching and offer an ICU observership program for physiotherapists interested in an ongoing career in ICU. Our work includes inspiratory muscle training, strategic weaning, extubation readiness assessment, ventilator hyperinflation, non-invasive ventilation in physiotherapy, multidisciplinary rehabilitation planning and competency with ICU-related outcome measures.

Support

ICU supports our staff in their professional and personal endeavours. We offer flexible working hours, mentor programs and bedside teaching opportunities. Our Critical Care Frontline Leadership supports leadership as close to the bedside as possible and supports the team on the frontline.


We have a multi-disciplinary approach to healthcare. Our nursing, medical, allied health and support staff are essential to the quality support we give patients. We are a family friendly culture that empowers patients and families to live out their lives. We lead the way with our humanistic approach to end of life care.

Career Development

We have clearly articulated career pathways for our staff, from novice to senior clinicians, everyone is well-supported at ICU. Staff are supported and expected to rotate through all areas of the ICU. We believe in “growing” your own nurses and empowering all staff to achieve.

Work Life Balance

Benefits

Work Life Balance

  • Canberra LIfe

    Ranked in 2018 as the third best city in the world to visit by Lonely Planet, Canberra offers its residents a thriving and cosmopolitan dining and entertainment scene, top tier schools and universities, and access to the great outdoors (not to mention boutique wineries) on its door step.

  • Family Friendly

    With minimal commuting time and a flexible, family friendly environment, the Canberra ICU team get to enjoy spending more time with their families in a great city to raise children. Canberra boasts nationally leading schools and universities and retains a strong sense of community, with a full calendar of free community events throughout the year.

  • Social Scene

    In recent years the Canberra food and wine scene has exploded and is now home to some of the most admired hotels, restaurants, bars, food trucks, pop-up experiences and seasonal festivals in the country. New developments like the urban waterside community of Kingston Foreshore and the innovative cultural precinct of NewActon are adding to the number of diverse social hotspots to explore, whilst just outside the city limits a number of cool climate wineries make perfect weekend hangouts.

  • Great Outdoors

    As well as having world-class art galleries, exhibitions, museums, theatres and festivals on its doorstep, Canberra enjoys exceptional proximity some of the best outdoor experiences Australia has to offer. Our team is able to drive to the snow or to the beach within 2 hours, whilst mountain biking, hiking trails and lake-side pursuits are less than 30 minutes away.

  • Nurturing Working Environment

    We are proud of our nurturing and supportive workplace. The Canberra ICU ensures we are family friendly by offering flexible working hours, paid parental leave entitlements and a clear breast-feeding policy. We provide external mentoring and preceptorship programs, Critical Care Frontline Leadership support, bedside teaching opportunities and promote a humanistic approach to end of life care that empowers patients and families to live out their lives.

  • Exceptional Career Development

    We are a general ICU so our team develop a broad range of experience via their rotation through all areas of the ICU. Career pathways are clearly defined, articulated, supported and empowered from novice through to senior clinician. Our world-class training and development initiatives (hyperlink to courses) mean that we attract and develop some of the leading medical professionals in the country.

Opportunities

A Career With Canberra ICU

2021 JMO Recruitment Round - Senior Registrar

Senior Registrar Link

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2021 JMO Recruitment Round - Registrar

Registrar Link

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2021 JMO Recruitment Round - Post Graduate Fellow

Post Graduate Fellow Link

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Career opportunities

We are always looking for skilled, enthusiastic staff to join our team and enjoy the great lifestyle Canberra has to offer. Please contact us for more information on career opportunities.

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Canberra Hospital Employment Portal

The Canberra Hospital employment portal is where you can find all open positions under ACT Government Health. You can filter your search results and apply through the portal.

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Medical Recruitment

Entry into the Intensive Care Unit medical stream is via the Critical Care Training Program. During the four term year, JMOs will be rotated through anaesthetics, emergency department and intensive care unit. There are also currently rotations to Shoalhaven hospital, and potentially Bega hospital in the future.


The education program in intensive care unit includes twice daily teaching sessions with a multidisciplinary focus. There are also extensive preparation courses for the primary and secondary examinations. Simulated learning environments are utilised fortnightly for crisis team practice scenarios.


Medical staff seeking senior positions are encouraged to contact the Clinical Director via ICU@act.gov.au

Enquire now

Nursing Recruitment

New Graduate Positions


There are two intakes per year for new graduate nurses (Transition to Practice Program). Canberra ICU accepts the best new graduates for their second rotation.


If accepted for your second rotation we offer you a 12 month rotation through ICU.

Enquire Now

Foundation Nurses

There are two intakes per year in February & August. Any Registered Nurse with at least one year experience is welcome to apply. Prior experience in critical care is not necessary.


The Foundation program is a 12 month program and aimed at the novice nurse. It’s a preceptor program tailored to individual’s needs and is supported by Clinical Support Nurse & Clinical Development Nurses.


Permanent employment opportunities are available on completion of the Foundation program. Email icu@act.gov.au for more information.

Experienced Nurses

We welcome applications from experienced nurses through our regular recruitment channel: ACT Health


All applications must be processed through the external recruitment site. Please email your expressions of interest to our Nurse Unit Mananger at icu@act.gov.au