Nursing and Health Care Jobs in Sydney – Palliative Care and More

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Palliative Care

Nursing and Health Care Jobs in Sydney – Palliative Care and More. Due to the aging population of Australia, the career prospects of a palliative care nurse look promising, and is projected to rise by 19% by the year 2022.  Therefore it is reasonably easy for palliative care nurses to find a job.

A palliative care nurse can expect to earn a salary of AUS $ 61,400 with a range of AUS $ 48,686 – AUS $ 81,468.  Some of the factors affecting the salary are location, certifications, education and experience.

On top of her conventional duties as a nurse, a palliative care nurse has many a series of roles to play around the patients who are often terminally ill.  These roles are teacher, psychologist / counsellor, care-giver, advocate and messenger among many others. Palliative nursing requires being available 24 hours a day to manage the pain discomforts of the patients and to provide support to the families.

Palliative care nurses can work in hospitals, nursing homes, hospices, assisted living facilities and private homes.   Palliative care nurses usually have employment opportunities where the elderly convene or where chronic conditions are treated (CCU).  Many end-of-life patients prefer to have in-home palliative care.

Nurses with a range of backgrounds and experiences can become palliative care nurses.  Those with experiences in geriatric care, late-stage cancer and heart disease are such.  Strong communication skills as well as empathy and compassion are strong traits for a palliative nurse to be successful.

A Palliative care nurse finds the courage to reach out to patients and their families and deliver the bad news.   She also handles her own emotional and psychological disturbance over these matters competently. As a Palliative care nurse, one should have the know-how about approaching the situation without disturbing the cultural view and accepted norms.

Key Responsibilities and Duties:

1. Liaise with family and friends of patient to promote a pain-free environment
2. Assess thoroughly the physical, psychosocial and spiritual needs of the patient and family and strive to meet them
3. Help the families of patients make important decisions
4. Once death has occurred, offer bereavement support to the family and help them make final decisions
5. Prepare patients and families for a peaceful and comfortable end of life transition
6. Educate those involved in new ways to manage symptoms
7. Be compassionate and full of empathy

Professional Qualifications

A palliative care nurse should be a registered nurse (RN) and must have passed the NCLEX-RN examination.  An LVN/LPN is also acceptable. It is not always required that a palliative care nurse should possess a Bachelor’s degree.

Mental Health Care

Mental health nurses are those who play an important role in healing the minds of people, especially with issues such as anxiety, depression, personality and eating disorders, and addiction to drugs or alcohol.

Mental health nurses liaise closely with doctors, social workers, therapists and psychiatrists and work in many settings such as hospitals and private homes.  Many such nurses specialise in working with a particular group such as young people or offenders.

If your profession is Registered Nurse (Perioperative) in accordance with the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) 2544-22, you can apply for any visa in the General Skilled Migration (GSM) Programme.  Visas in this category include the Skilled Independent 189, the Skilled Nominated 190, the Skilled Regional Nominated 489 or the Skilled Regional Sponsored 489 visas.  Further, if you have a firm offer of employment you can apply for a number of employer sponsored visas. Nursing and Health Care Jobs in Sydney – Palliative Care and More.

A registered mental health nurse can expect to earn AUS $ 79,511 per year in Australia.  Psychiatric nurse practitioners work under a psychiatric physician and counsel patients regarding mental health disorders.  They earn on average AUS $ 90,376 per year.

Key Responsibilities and Duties:

1. Assess and plan nursing care requirements
2. Build a close relationship with their patients through reassuring, listening and talking
3. Help patients and their families combat with the stigma
4. Administer medication, monitor the progress and maintain patient records
5. Liaise with doctors, social workers and other professionals
6. Advise and support patients, families and care-givers
7. Encourage patients to take part in therapeutic activities such as art and role play

Professional Qualifications:

With a nursing degree one can become a registered nurse and work in most of the mental health settings.  However, the position of mental health nurse requires a postgraduate study in mental health nursing at Graduate Diploma or Masters’ level. Nursing and Health Care Jobs in Sydney – Palliative Care and More.

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