General Information

The Intensive Care Service is a specialist lead service supported by registrars.

Specialists

The unit has seven Specialists [PDF] positions:

Shawn Sturland - Clinical Leader
Ben Barry
Dick Dinsdale
Peter Hicks
Alex Psirides
Shawn Sturland
Bob Ure

Registrars

The specialists are supported by 4 senior and 10 junior Registrars [PDF] (junior doctors in specialist training).

They provide:

on-the floor care,
attend emergency calls to ED, cardiac arrests and major trauma, and
provide medical support for the flight service 24 hours a day.

There are three intensive care trainee positions that are appointed by us.

The service is recognised by the Joint Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine, The Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetics and the Royal Australasian College of Physicians for specialty training in Intensive Care.

We are a closed unit and take medical responsibility for all the patients admitted to the unit. We provide care in close consultation with the patients primary medical team and other specialists.

Nursing Information

Nurses are the most important resource in the Intensive Care Service. We are committed to providing 1:1 nursing for all intensive care patients

The nursing structure has an establishment of 87 equivalent full time Registered Nurses:

lead by the Charge Nurse Manager [PPT] who works in partnership with the Medical Director,
supported by the Clinical Nurse Educator, Nurse Lecturer and Clinical Nurse Specialist [PPT],
seven Associate Charge Nurse Managers [pdf] provide daily on the floor supervision,
overseen by the Professional Nurse Advisor who keeps an independent eye on matters

There is a very strong nursing involvement in the management and planning of the service. We have a close cooperative relationship with the medical director and senior medical staff.

On the floor the nurses are helped by:

four Health Care Assistants, and
a Nurse Technician.

The unit is supported by an administration team comprising of a Ward Clerk, Department Secretary and two part-time Administrative Coordinators [PPT].

New staff are given up to a six week buddied orientation period and are allocated to two experienced ICU nurses.

We run 12 hour shifts. Rostering is flexible within agreed arrangements and we cater for part time staff.

A competency based Professional Development Recognition Program is supported and link to pay.