MATS Palliative Outreach Nurse

Alfred Health

Alfred Health is a leader in health care delivery, improvement, research and education. We are the main provider of health services to people living in the inner southeast suburbs of Melbourne, from ambulatory to inpatient and home and community-based services.

• Permanent position
• Part term (40 hours per fortnight)
• Clinical Nurse Consultant C Year 1 (ZA7)
• Alfred Health location – predominantly based at Caulfield Hospital campus
• Great staff benefits!

The Department

Alfred Home - Acute and Community (HAC) is a clinical program across Alfred Health, of which the Health Independence Program (HIP) is a part. The HIP program plays an integral role within Victoria’s health care system, supporting people to maximise their independence and functioning, and minimise long-term healthcare needs.  HAC oversees a diverse group of services promoting effective care, from acute care back into the community. These services are provided in hospital, community based settings and in people’s homes.

Our Health of Older People (HoP) service, is a stream within HAC, providing a responsive, person-centred, effective system of care that aims to improve health outcomes and the quality of life for our clients and broader community. Our focus is working with services and our clients to ensure coordination and consistency of continuing care over time, and through the different stages of a person’s condition. We do this through fostering an environment of self-management, health promotion and community integration.

The Mobile Assessment & Treatment Service [MATS], is one of the HoP services, and provides a rapid in-reaching clinical response, to residents predominantly of aged care facilities, and on occasion to the wider community, who are at risk of presenting to an emergency department, for acute illnesses or reasons that could be managed outside of the hospital setting.  

MATS has clinical oversight by Geriatricians, and encompasses MATS Medical, Nursing, Allied Health and pharmacy roles.  The MATS patient cohorts are the frail and elderly, or those with severe disability in residential settings. Often MATS patients have a range of chronic conditions and conditions of ageing.

Due to the nature of our patient cohort, MATS work closely with the Alfred Health Palliative Care Consult Service (PCCS), who provide a predominantly consultative service, whereby they provide advice on pain and other symptom management, facilitate discharge planning and assist with complex decision-making, particularly relating to end-of-life care. 

The Role

The MATS Palliative Care Clinical Nurse Consultant (CNC) will provide clinical expertise to MATS patients with needs aligning with a palliative approach through to terminal care until death and bereavement support post death as required.  The aim is to meet the physical, psychological and spiritual needs of terminally ill MATS patients and their families, whilst supporting existing services involved in their care ie: Residential Aged Care Facility (RACF) staff, supported residential service staff and GP’s to provide best evidenced based care.

The MATS Palliative Care CNC we are looking for, should be a self-driven and motivated individual, with a desire to enhance the health journey and experience of our elderly patient population.

The role is an integral part of the MATS service, providing an In-reaching model of service delivery, and as such we are seeking a person who can work as an effective team player, but then can also be an effective autonomous and independent practitioner.

The MATS Palliative Care CNC will:

• Provide expert direct patient care including, thorough assessment, identification of current state and clinical care needs, implementation, administration and review of interventions in keeping with patients goals and wishes. 
• Work closely with MATS Medical staff and patients GP & RACF staff, to ensure all clinical care needs are met as per the patients preferences and teams’ recommendations.
• Work collaboratively with other Alfred Health clinicians/teams, particularly our PCCS/PATS colleagues to ensure seamless and timely care.  They will be relied upon to coordinate and continue that collaborative care approach with community providers also ie: RACF & GP staff, Community Palliative Care services in the community.
• Assist with resource allocation in relation to palliative care needs of MATS patients across the service. 
• Model leadership, and develop pathways to support and develop other MATS team members to build capacity through education and empowerment.
• Be responsible for developing robust pathways within MATS for the community management of our patients using a palliative approach, and will include building terminal care best practices into MATS suite of services.
• The position requires excellent communication and documentation skills to foster effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders to the patient’s care.

Qualifications/Experience Required

Essential    

• Registered Nurse Division 1 with a current practicing certificate with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia via AHPRA
• Post graduate qualification in Palliative Care Nursing
• Current Victorian driver’s licence
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Desirable

• Prior experience at grade 5 level
• Recent clinical experience in relevant areas, preferably acute general medicine, chronic disease or geriatrics
• Demonstrated ability to work positively and flexibly with internal and external services
• Commitment to continuing professional development

Staff Benefits

• Salary packaging & novated leasing through Maxxia
• Flexible health insurance coverage through HCF Health Insurance
• Onsite car parking opportunities, deducted pre-tax!!
• Fantastic onsite fitness facilities at The Alfred through ProSport health and fitness
• Childcare services at The Alfred managed by KU Children’s Services

For enquiries regarding this position, please contact Kate McGillivray, Acting NUM on 0473 216 419

Applications close 11pm AEST, on Sunday 22nd June 2025.

Alfred Health is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce that reflects the community we serve.  Applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are encouraged.

In accordance with the Health Services Amendment (Mandatory Vaccination of Healthcare Workers) Act 2020, health care workers in Category A or B roles (as determined by the department’s risk ratings) are required to be vaccinated against influenza or hold an acceptable medical exemption. 

Website: www.alfredhealth.org.au