Clinical Toxicologist

Location: Melbourne | Parkville

Job type: Part time

Organisation: Austin Health

**Salary**: $99 - $100

Occupation: Medical and Nursing

Reference: 2322

**_Are you a current Austin Health employee? _**

Austin Health is the major provider of tertiary health services, health professional education and research across three campuses in the north-east of Melbourne and state-wide. We have a highly engaged, diverse and collaborative workforce that is unified by our goal to help people live healthy and fulfilled lives.

**About the department**

The Victorian Poisons Information Centre (VPIC) commenced operation in 1962. VPIC was located at the Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH), Melbourne from 1976 to 2008. In August 2008, VPIC relocated to Austin Hospital, to integrate with the Austin Toxicology Service.

VPIC provides members of the Victorian public and health professionals with information and advice about:

- First aid in the event of poisoning, suspected poisoning, bites and stings.
- An assessment of the severity of a poisoning or exposure
- Potential toxic effects from a poisoning or exposure
- Treatment and management of poisoning
- Prevention of poisoning

The Austin Toxicology service provides consultant-led specialist care to patients who present to Austin Health with poisoning as a primary diagnosis. The service provides specialist care to patients presenting to the Emergency Department with acute poisoning and inpatient care for patients admitted to the Emergency Department short stay ward, medical wards, or Intensive Care Unit.

**About the role**

An exciting opportunity currently exists for an enthusiastic Clinical Toxicologist to join our team of toxicologists and pharmacists who provide local and statewide care to poisoned patients in Victoria.
- Hours per week: 5 hours per week
- Employment Status: Part-time
- Position commencement date: 9th June 2024

A regular day will see you:

- Providing expert care for the management of poisoned patients, including resuscitation, decontamination, specific antidote administration, supportive care, and extracorporeal techniques.
- Recognising the impact of patient co-morbidities, and assessing and managing psychiatric co-morbidities.
- Planning patient disposition and managing those requiring critical care, including in the Intensive Care Unit.
- Managing victims of chemical exposures, including those from terrorist attacks, as well as chronic poisoning, environmental and occupational exposures, envenomations, and drug/alcohol withdrawal.
- Offering comprehensive care to inpatient and outpatient cases.
- Responding promptly (within 10 minutes) to clinical inquiries from health professionals contacting the Austin Toxicology Service for advice.
- Documenting all consultations and advice provided prior to the end of your on-call shift.
- Actively participating in Unit meetings and activities.
- Providing on-call and consultative services as required.
- Supervising trainees and junior medical staff.
- Assisting the Director with administrative duties, including the development and review of policies and procedures, and updating them to reflect best practice and evidence-based medicine.
- Contributing to the evaluation of service delivery and implementing quality and risk management initiatives.
- Collaborating with medical, nursing, and other clinical staff to deliver efficient, safe, and high-quality care across the continuum.

**About you**
- Be a registered Medical Practitioner with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
- Hold Fellowship of the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine, Fellowship of the College of Intensive Care of Australia and New Zealand, Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, or equivalent.
- Have appropriate clinical training in the field of clinical toxicology (minimum of 1-year full time supervised training in a clinical setting)
- Have undergone Poisons Centre training in provision of clinical advice to clinicians caring for poisoned patients
- Have a post-graduate academic qualification in clinical toxicology
- Demonstrate a commitment to high quality patient care
- Demonstrate a commitment to working as a team member with peer medical, junior medical, nursing and other clinical staff to provide efficient, safe and quality care
- Demonstrate a commitment to teaching, training and research.

**Our benefits**

Working at Austin Health means enjoying a strong sense of purpose, engaging in meaningful work every day. Our people also receive a variety of rewarding benefits, including:

- Greater take-home pay through generous salary packaging
- A suite of wellness initiatives designed to support you, including discounts on fitness memberships and health insurance, and a comprehensive wellbeing program
- Mentoring and career development opportunities
- Onsite childcare, easy access via public transport, car parking and end of journey facilities for cyclists

**Work with us**

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