Outreach Midwife / Women’s Health Nurse

Discover a deeply fulfilling purpose where your clinical skills meet ancient culture in the remote APY Lands, South Australia.

As a remote midwife, you will provide vital, culturally respectful care to Aboriginal women and families, building meaningful connections to change health outcomes. This is a unique opportunity to grow as a practitioner, immerse yourself in the world’s oldest living culture, and make a profound, lasting impact where you are needed most.

Please direct enquiries to Lyn Byers at lynette.byers@palya.org.au or call 0498 880179.

Position Description:

To provide clinical support to the Midwifery & Women’s Health Program conducted by Nganampa Health Council (NHC) on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands.

Major Areas of Responsibility:

The NHC Women’s Health Program offers care to all women on the APY Lands. The needs of this cohort include pre-conception, pregnancy, and postnatal care as well as gynaecological, perimenopause and menopause care. Comprehensive surveillance including cervical and breast screening assists with early detection, treatment and referral of women identified with health concerns.

The outreach midwife/women’s health nurse:

• Works with NHC Doctors to provide comprehensive routine antenatal & postnatal care. This includes education around reproductive health and optimising care for women at increased obstetric or medical risk.
• In conjunction with NHC medical officers, coordinates service delivery at clinics where no midwife is currently employed, to deliver antenatal and postnatal care, cervical screening and other women’s health care and education as required.
• Provides contraceptive advice and treatment in collaboration with NHC Doctors.
• Assist and encourage cervical screening across all clinics. Provides practitioner collected cervical screening where needed.
• Uses the Communicare Clinical Information System following the protocols and procedures developed by NHC.
• Facilitates women accessing breast screening and any required follow up in collaboration with NHC Doctors.
• Understands various gynaecological issues and work’s with NHC Doctors to optimise management.
• Promotes and participates in STI screening.
• Supports gynaecology outreach visits as required.
• Works closely with the child health team members, STI and immunisation coordinators and midwife colleagues to ensure optimal care for women and babies.
• Participates in regular women’s health team meetings.
• Performs other duties as directed by Clinical Services Manager or delegate.

Primary Objective:

To provide clinical care to women within an evidence-based service delivery model to meet selected key performance indicators for the Women’s Health Program. Clinical care focuses on the prevention, early detection and early intervention of physical, emotional and social problems affecting women and their families.

Program Service Delivery:

• To promote the key action areas, goals and objectives of the Women’s Health Program as determined by NHC Health Committee.
• To ensure optimal service delivery in the Women’s Health Program areas of antenatal and postnatal care, cervical screening, contraception, gynaecology and other areas as directed.
• To assist, strengthen and sustain the Women’s Health Program incorporating the use of best practice guidelines (CARPA Standard Treatment Manual and Women’s Business Manual), clinical safety and culturally appropriate practice.
• To liaise with the Child Health Nurses, Clinical Services Manager, Consultant Medical Officer, clinic Medical Officers, STI and Immunisation coordinators, NHC social worker and other NHC staff as required, to ensure coordinated and focused service delivery within the Women’s Health program.
• To liaise with external service providers and other stakeholders relevant to the delivery of the Women’s Health Program as directed by Clinical Services Manager or delegate.

Quality Improvement:

In collaboration with the Clinical Services Manager, participate in ongoing review and development of Women’s Health Program initiatives and service delivery strategies, that contribute to strategic planning, program and policy development in relation to women’s health on the APY Lands.

Performance Management:

To promote an organisational culture that emphasis quality, safe practice, continuous improvement and high performance

RELEVANCE TO STRATEGIC PLAN

• Sustain best practice clinical and population health services and programs.
• Sustain and further develop comprehensive maternal and child health services.
• Help to maintain a comprehensive integrated electronic Clinical Information System.
• Support introduction, where appropriate, of new medical technologies and e-health solutions.
• Assist in maintaining clinical accreditation.
• Use health information to plan and evaluate programs and to report to funding partners.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

• Full or part time positions will be considered.
  • A full-time position requires 38 weeks based on the APY Lands.
  • A part time position requires a minimum of 26-32 weeks, negotiable, based on the APY Lands
• Leave will be taken per the EBA and scheduled during time off the lands
• Ability to travel across the APY Lands is required with visits to all NHC clinics. This will involve travelling by 4WD vehicle between clinics. Ability to travel by light aircraft on occasion may be required.
• Some out of hour’s work may be required and time off in lieu is negotiable within set guidelines.
• A six-month probation period exists for all new appointments. A review and assessment of suitability for continuing employment is conducted at that time.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Essential

• Current National Police Clearance
• Current South Australian Working with Children Check
• Current manual driver’s licence
• Current AHPRA registration

Education

• Registered Nurse/Registered Midwife preferred
• Registered Midwife with extended skills would be considered
• Current Basic Life Support Certificate
• Accredited Vaccine Provider Certificate
• Participation in an obstetric emergency course e.g. AIMS (ALSO) or MIDUS in last two years.

Experience

• Recent clinical experience in provision of antenatal, postnatal, sexual and/or reproductive health care for women.
• Experience in delivering women’s health care in a cross-cultural context.
• Experience in use of CARPA STM and Women’s Business Manual protocols related to women’s health, for example STI’s, Diabetes in Pregnancy, antenatal and postnatal care.
• Knowledge of public health, primary health care, women’s health issues in Aboriginal populations.

Personal Skills

• Ability to communicate effectively and work collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary health team in a cross cultural and complex environment.
• Ability to transfer knowledge and skills through mentoring, training and supportive supervision.
• Ability to work under Aboriginal management and control.
• Good organisational and analytical skills with attention to detail.
• Ability to be adaptable and flexible within the work environment.
• Ability to commit to the transfer of health skills to Anangu health workers and clients.
• High-level computer literacy and familiarity with/ability to readily attain familiarity with data base maintenance.

Desirable

Education

• Qualifications and clinical experience in point of care obstetric scans, cervical screening, long-acting contraception, sexual and reproductive health.
• Postgraduate qualifications, or working towards same, in Public Health, Women’s Health or related field.

Experience

• Previous experience as a Remote Area Nurse/Midwife.
• Proven ability to work effectively in a cross-cultural organisational setting.
• Extensive midwifery and gynaecological experience
• Experience in the delivery of health education/health promotion programs