Employment Type: Temporary Full Time
Remuneration: $117,745 - $147,664
Hours Per Week: 38
Requisition ID: CAM29521
The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Coffs Harbour Hospital is a modern, high-acuity facility providing comprehensive critical care services to the Mid North Coast region.
The unit comprises 20 physical bed spaces, with 12 currently commissioned beds, and operates as a Level 5 ICU within the NSW Health network. Commissioned in late 2021, the ICU is a state-of-the-art facility designed to support contemporary models of critical care delivery, incorporating advanced monitoring, infection control, and patient-centred design principles.
Coffs Harbour ICU is accredited by the College of Intensive Care Medicine (CICM) for Foundation Training and six months of Advanced Training(G6). It also maintains its accreditation as a Rural Training unit, reflecting the breadth of clinical exposure and quality of supervision provided to trainees. The unit delivers care to a diverse case mix as a mixed medical and surgical ICU, supported by a wide range of subspecialties including neurology, pulmonology, gastroenterology, nephrology, as well as surgical services such as vascular, upper gastrointestinal, colorectal, and urology.
The ICU admits approximately 1000 patients annually, including around 300 requiring mechanical ventilation. In addition to managing critically ill patients within the unit, the ICU team plays a central role in hospital-wide patient safety by responding to Rapid Response calls and proactively reviewing deteriorating patients across the wards.
Education and training are core strengths of the unit. A structured teaching programme includes formal didactic sessions, journal clubs, examination-focused tutorials, and book clubs, complemented by First Part CICM examination preparation sessions. Teaching engagement is consistently high. Trainees are well supported by a team of experienced intensivists who foster a friendly, supportive, and collegial working environment, making Coffs Harbour ICU an excellent setting for junior doctor training and professional development.
The Junior Medical Officer (JMO) Unit at Coffs Harbour Health Campus is an award-winning, dynamic hub dedicated to nurturing the next generation of medical professionals. In 2023, we were presented with the prestigious Judy Muller Award and in 2024/2025 were granted full accreditation with HETI with several commendations. 2026 now sees nominations for the unit in the NSW Health Excellence Awards.
Our strong recruitment campaigns and outstanding focus on JMO wellbeing has created one of the most outstanding campuses for JMOs.
The Coffs Harbour Health Campus is an acute regional teaching hospital with 355 beds, located in the hub of the spectacular Mid-North Coast. Geographically located midway between Sydney and Brisbane with a population of over 73,000 and a catchment of over 100,000. To the north and south of Coffs Harbour are endless beaches and the Solitary Islands Marine Park lies adjacent to the harbour. The area is flanked to the west by World Heritage rain forests and the National Parks of the Dorrigo plateau and the Bellingen Valley.
Coffs Harbour is one of two places on the east coast of Australia where the mountains meet the sea. Our town is well connected with flights to Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane and the temperate climate means Coffs is known for its relaxed lifestyle, coastal walks, surfing beaches, hiking, camping, mountain biking, whale watching, deep sea fishing, golfing, and wonderful local produce.
Coffs Harbour Health Campus facilities and services include operating theatres, a Coronary Care Unit (including Coronary Angiography Suite), an Intensive Care Unit, a 24-hour Emergency Department, Radiology (including CT, MRI and Interventional Suite), Pathology North, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatrics, Anaesthetics, Rehabilitation and a Stroke Unit. There is also access to outpatient services such as the Ambulatory Care Unit, Renal Dialysis Unit, Dental Services and a Refugee Clinic.
Also situated on the grounds of Coffs Harbour Health Campus are the Aboriginal and Cultural Wellbeing Centre (Maam Darruyaygamba), Mid North Coast Cancer Institute (haematology, medical oncology and radiation oncology facilities), Mental Health Unit, BreastScreen, the Specialist Medical Centre and University of NSW Regional Medical School.
Our Emergency Department (ED) is the largest trauma centre outside Brisbane and Sydney, with more than 49,000 presentations in 2025 and delivered approx. 1100 babies and had more than 34,000 admissions.
Coffs Harbour Health Campus is the hub of the Coffs Clinical Network which also includes smaller facilities such as the Bellinger River Hospital and Macksville District hospitals, Bowraville and Nambucca HealthOne facilities and Dorrigo Multi-Purpose Service (MPS).
A recent redevelopment of Coffs Harbour Health Campus also saw the opening of the new state-of the-art Clinical Services Building consisting of operating theatres, surgical departments, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics and an Intensive Care Unit.
What you'll be doing
This position consists of 6 months working in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Coffs Harbour (CHHC), followed by 6 months working in the Department of Anaesthesia at Coffs Harbour Base Hospital (CHHC). Coffs Harbour ICU is classified as CICM Limited General Training (G6) Rural, and the anaesthetic department is accredited for 24 months of ANZCA training.
The primary purpose of the position is to manage patients requiring intensive care, those at risk of clinical deterioration requiring intensive care, plus pre- and post-intensive care evaluation, whilst participating in the core training program of the College of Intensive Care Medicine.
Critically ill patients include patients with life-threatening single and multiple organ system failure, those at risk of clinical deterioration as well as those requiring resuscitation and/or management in an intensive care unit. Intensive Care Trainees work under the supervision of Specialist Intensive Care Physicians, assisting to manage, diagnose and treat the disturbances associated with severe medical, surgical, obstetric and paediatric illness and the conditions that cause them. This may include management of deteriorating and seriously ill patients outside the intensive care unit as well as the intra-hospital transport of critically ill patients.
The primary purpose of a Trainee in Anaesthesia is to provide anaesthesia care in a complex clinical environment. This will be done under supervision appropriate to the level of training of the applicant and in line with recommendations of the training program of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA). Trainees are expected to extend their knowledge and skills in managing anaesthesia across multiple subspeciality areas of anaesthesia in order to meet the professional standards set by ANZCA. They are required to deliver anaesthesia, perioperative care and pain management services inside and outside the operating rooms and to perform other duties during rotations to other areas as directed. Trainees will participate as a multidisciplinary team member across key areas of anaesthetics including:
- anaesthesia and sedation (including obstetric anaesthesia)
- regional anaesthesia
- airway management
- pain medicine
- perioperative management
- resuscitation
- trauma and crisis management
